Baseball-Major League Baseball roundup

Jan 28 (The Sports Xchange) - Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols will begin the season on the disabled list, but he's making progress toward a return to the field sooner than expected. Pujols, who had surgery to repair the plantar plate on his right foot, was cleared to begin hitting off a tee. - - The Colorado Rockies traded outfielder Corey Dickerson to the Tampa Bay Rays for reliever Jake McGee on Thursday in a deal that also includes undisclosed minor league pitchers, according to a FoxSports.com report. - - The Houston Astros agreed to a one-year deal with right-hander Doug Fister, the club announced. Fister, who turns 32, next week, was 5-7 with a 4.19 ERA for the Washington Nationals last season. It was a sharp drop-off from his solid 2014 campaign when he went 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA. - - The New York Yankees avoided arbitration with Ivan Nova, reaching agreement with the right-hander on a one-year, $4.1 million contract. The 29-year-old Nova returned from Tommy John elbow surgery in June last year and made 17 starts for the Yankees, finishing with a 6-11 record and a 5.07 ERA. - - Former major-league outfielder Walt "No Neck" Williams has died due to a heart attack. He was 72. Williams died last Saturday in Abilene, Texas, according to his wife. He played 10 major-league seasons - six of them with the Chicago White Sox - but was best known for his nickname. (Editing by Frank Pingue)