NL Central

Adam Wainwright is starting 2015 the same way he ended last year: battling an injury. This time, the St. Louis Cardinals ace is reportedly dealing with an abdominal issue.     

Continue for updates.

While all of the focus at Cincinnati Reds camp will be on the core players, there are a couple of under-the-radar players who could end up being pleasant surprises this spring.

There aren't many spots available on the team's 25-man roster, if everyone is healthy. There figures to be competition for a bench spot, a bullpen spot and two rotation spots.

For the first time in a very long time, the Chicago Cubs seem ready to compete for the playoffs. A lot of that has to do with their improved roster in every area of the team. While making the playoffs will still be a tough task in 2015, this current Cubs team has the talent to get it done.

The Cincinnati Reds have a multimillion-dollar predicament on their hands.

As spring training approaches, the Cincinnati Reds are eager to prove the doubters wrong and show that last year's down season was just a product of an injury-riddled team.

Cincinnati went 76-86 last season, which put the team in fourth place in the National League Central. It was a disappointing result for a team that entered the season with postseason aspirations.

Kris Bryant’s time is now.

There is nothing left for him to prove in the minor leagues, and the Chicago Cubs have made a clear and definitive turn toward competitiveness. Both those reasons ought to point to the 23-year-old uber-prospect being on the team’s Opening Day roster.

It's no secret the Chicago Cubs are supposed to be much improved this season after a very busy offseason. It remains to be seen just how improved they are, but their roster from this year compared to last appears to be much stronger. 

Fans know names like Jon Lester, Miguel Montero and Dexter Fowler, but there are other players waiting for an opportunity to prove themselves. Some of these players will try to impress in spring training. Here are five who could surprise people this March.

Spring training is set to begin next week when pitchers and catchers report to camp, meaning Major League Baseball’s long and at times insane offseason is coming to an end.

The Cincinnati Reds have a bevy of medium/high-risk and high-upside prospects in their farm system. Some of these young players will have a chance to showcase their talents against advanced competition at spring training in Goodyear, Arizona.

First, Cubs fans had to wait for months for the team to sign ace Jon Lester. Now, it has seemed like an even more excruciating wait for spring training since there's so much excitement surrounding this much-improved team. 

Opening Day is just two months away, and, for the first time in five years, there is hope on the north side of Chicago. The front-office tandem of Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have stayed the course, and 2015 may be the first year the fruits of their labor are rewarded with 80-plus wins.