Neftali Feliz is almost ready to pitch again in Triple-A

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Remember Neftali Feliz? Well, he’s been shut down for the past month due to general soreness and fatigue, but Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that he is likely to be activated with Triple-A Round Rock tomorrow.

Feliz is still trying to get back to 100 percent from his Tommy John surgery in 2012. The 26-year-old right-hander was in the mix for the Rangers’ closer role during spring training, but he was demoted to Triple-A after he showed diminished velocity and had issues recovering from one outing to the next. He allowed one run and struck out six over 5 2/3 innings before going on the disabled list last month, but he still had issues with his velocity and didn’t pitch on consecutive days. The hope is that the rest will get him back on track physically.

Once considered among the game’s best young pitchers, Feliz compiled a 2.55 ERA and 74 saves over his first three seasons in the majors before the Rangers moved him to the rotation in 2012. He pitched in just eight games (seven starts) before undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Cardinals sign pitcher Miles Mikolas to 3-year, $55.75M deal

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Rhona Wise/USA TODAY Sports
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ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.