spring flings

An injury may play a role in Tyler Moore’s chances of making Miami’s opening day roster. Moore, the ex-Mississippi State star from Brandon, is fine. It’s the injury to Martin Prado that could open a spot for Moore, who is in the Marlins’ camp as a non-roster invitee. Prado, the former Mississippi Braves standout, will start the season on the disabled list, with Derek Dietrich manning third base. Moore, a first baseman/outfielder, is batting .295 with five homers this spring and has made a strong case for being the right-handed hitting half of a platoon at first with Justin Bour. … Ole Miss product Stuart Turner might also benefit from an injury. Cincinnati’s No. 1 catcher, Devin Mesoraco, will start the season on the DL as he recovers from two surgeries last year. Tucker Barnhart will be the starter, with the Reds deciding between Turner and Rob Brantly for the backup job. Turner, hitting .414 in 29 at-bats this spring, was a Rule 5 draft pick from Minnesota who’ll likely return to the Twins — and the minors — if he doesn’t make the Reds’ 25-man roster. … Yet another injury, this one in Detroit’s camp, may enhance JaCoby Jones’ chances of opening the year with the Tigers. J.D. Martinez will start on the DL, opening the door for another outfielder. Richton High alum Jones, battling two others for the center field job this spring, is batting .341 with two homers. Former UM standout Alex Presley, a non-roster invitee who is hitting .414, might also have a shot if the Tigers want to keep Jones, a top prospect, playing regularly in the minors. … Ex-UM star Lance Lynn reportedly will start Thursday’s Grapefruit League game for St. Louis after leaving Saturday’s contest with “upper back stiffness.” Lynn, coming off Tommy John surgery, has a 1.20 ERA in five starts this spring. … Picayune’s T.J. House, in Toronto’s camp as a non-roster player, has not yet returned to the mound since getting struck in the head by a batted ball on March 10. … Entering the last week of spring training, Seth Smith hasn’t gotten much work with Baltimore, his new team. The Ole Miss product was out for roughly two weeks with a hamstring problem. He returned to go 2-for-3 on Saturday – he is 3-for-14 this spring – then sat again Sunday. “At-bats are great, and I’d like to get them, but being 100 percent going into the season is No. 1,” Smith told mlb.com. … Philadelphia was expected to make some roster decisions on Sunday, but there was no immediate word on Chris Coghlan’s status. The ex-Rebels star, who won a ring with the Chicago Cubs last fall, is in Phillies camp as a non-roster invitee. The versatile veteran is batting .243.