MLB

We've hit the home stretch of another long, cold MLB offseason, as we're just over two weeks away from Opening Day.

With half of spring training in the rearview mirror, there are plenty of headlines developing around the league. Each team is beginning to get a better idea of its finished product as we close in on April 5, but key questions remain to be answered before we get to that point.

The New York Mets have already had their share of bad news this spring, so an injury to All-Star second baseman Daniel Murphy isn't what the team needs right now. Unfortunately, the human body doesn't pay attention to team needs, as Murphy has been diagnosed with a pulled hamstring. 

Continue for updates. 

The Tampa Bay Rays pitching rotation is not a picture of perfect health, and it took another hit in the form of Alex Cobb.

Continue for updates.

Many of the top prospects in the minor leagues never had a legitimate chance to make a big league roster out of camp.

And now for something we all ought to be used to by now:

A discussion about whether veteran New York Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia is good at pitching baseballs again, which will inevitably skew toward an "I'm not so sure, man" conclusion.

New York Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury was held out of Tuesday's lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays with an abdomen injury.

Continue for updates. 

The National League West has been a division owned in recent years by the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. But, there is a new kid on the block, the San Diego Padres, fresh off a winter in which they consummated blockbuster trades and broke the bank for key free agents. 

Despite a rash of injuries around the game, baseball's rumor mill has been relatively quiet as we creep closer to Opening Day.

Part of that can be attributed to the exorbitant, ridiculous asking prices by some teams for their established pieces (I'm looking in your direction, Philadelphia), but by and large, more teams than ever before seem to be embracing the idea of "next man up."

Top prospects around the league are often the focus of many conversations during spring training, and understandably so, as it's a chance to see what a young player is capable of against established competition.

However, it is also a time when young big leaguers who are still trying to establish themselves have a chance to open some eyes and take the first steps towards carving out an everyday gig in the majors.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Justin Verlander knows all eyes are on him this season. And not just because many of those eyes are hoping to catch a glimpse of Kate Upton.

No, with Max Scherzer long gone and the Detroit Tigers still oh-fer when it comes to World Series titles under owner Mike Ilitch, the clock is ticking loudly. The Tigers are getting older. Ilitch, 85, is getting older.