Steer (shoulder) will begin a throwing program Tuesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Steer played through a right shoulder strain late last season and the injury has lingered this spring, limiting him to only seven plate appearances at designated hitter. While his readiness for Opening Day seems unlikely, the Reds are not ready to rule him out yet. Wittenmyer notes that a cortisone injection has knocked out the inflammation in Steer's shoulder and the focus lately has been correcting bad habits created by compensating for the injury. The Reds likely would want Steer available to play the field in order to avoid the IL, and it's uncertain when he might be cleared for that.

Lowe went 1-for-3 with a strikeout in Sunday's spring game against the Rays and is hitting .200 through 13 Grapefruit League contests.

The first baseman hasn't been a strong spring performer throughout his career with a .227 average, so the poor numbers don't necessarily mean much. After being acquired from the Rangers in December, Lowe will bring some stability to first base in Washington after posting a .265/.361/.401 slash line with 16 homers and 69 RBI last year.

Mancini went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Saturday's spring game against the White Sox.

The veteran signed an NRI deal with the Diamondbacks just prior to camp and has hit well, going 9-for-21 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI over 13 Cactus League games. Most of Mancini's appearances have come off the bench against lesser-quality pitching, signaling that's he's not likely to win an Opening Day roster spot. He told Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports that he does not intend to opt out of his minor-league contract if doesn't make the team's initial 26-man roster.

Eldridge won't play in Saturday's Spring Breakout game due to minor left hand soreness, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

While Eldridge's hand issue will be enough to keep him from playing Saturday, it doesn't sound like it's going to keep him from playing in any Triple-A games once the minor-league season begins. The 20-year-old first baseman breezed through San Francisco's farm system last season but slowed down considerably once he reached Triple-A. He'll likely spend most of the season with Sacramento, though a debut in 2025 is certainly on the table.

Padres manager Mike Shildt said Tuesday that Cronenworth playing first base this season is not currently "on the radar," Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan reports.

Cronenworth split time pretty evenly between first and second base last year, logging 80 starts at first and 66 at the keystone. However, the Padres are planning to deploy Luis Arraez on a near-everyday basis at first base in 2025 while allowing Cronenworth to settle in at second. That won't affect Cronenworth's eligibility in most fantasy formats this year, but if things go as planned, it's reasonable for those in dynasty and keeper leagues to anticipate him losing first-base eligibility in 2026. Despite the narrowing of where he'll play in the field, Cronenworth is expected to continue to be an everyday player for the Padres this season after slashing .241/.324/.390 with 17 homers, 83 RBI, 72 runs and five stolen bases over 653 plate appearances last year.

Steer (shoulder) took swings in a batting cage Wednesday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

This was the first time Steer had a bat in his hand since getting a cortisone shot in his right shoulder March 1. He took flips in the cage before heading to the weight room. The next step is to see how the 27-year-old infielder/outfielder responds to the activity. Steer believes he can still get ready for the regular season, but in the words of manager Terry Francona, "we want his shoulder to tell us that - not Opening Day."

Mervis went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's split-squad game against the Nationals.

His second-inning shot off Mitchell Parker was the second homer of the spring in eight appearances for Mervis. The 26-year-old slugger has made some loud contact in camp, batting .292 (7-for-24) with two doubles in addition to his long balls, but his 1:9 BB:K suggests he still needs to make more frequent contact to be a trustworthy fantasy asset -- he has a career 31.7 percent strikeout rate in 126 big-league PAs.

Steer (shoulder) received positive results after being re-examined by the team's medical staff Saturday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Steer was examined for the first time since receiving a cortisone injection in his right shoulder. Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said Sunday that he'll work on range-of-motion activities and estimated Steer should progress to hitting off a tee by mid-week.

Mervis believes he has corrected some bad habits that developed in his swing mechanics and his approach last season, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports. "Last year, I think I just tried to prove that I deserved to be [in the majors] and got out of my approach, swung it some bad pitches. I would say [my struggles were] more things that I could control," Mervis said this week.

The numbers bear out that assessment, as Mervis' 55.1 percent swing rate with the Cubs in 2024 was almost five points higher than it had been the season before. The 26-year-old also dealt with a fractured hamate bone in his hand that cost him about six weeks while with Triple-A Iowa. Acquired by the Marlins this offseason in a trade, Mervis appears to be locked into a spot on the 26-man roster following Saturday's optioning of prospect Deyvison De Los Santos to Triple-A Jacksonville. Mervis should serve on the strong side of a platoon at first base with Jonah Bride while also seeing time at DH, and the confidence that comes with not feeling like he's fighting for a job could help him regain the form that saw him slash .287/.394/.555 and slug 37 homers over 157 games for Iowa in the 2022-23 seasons. He's looked good so far this spring, going 6-for-20 (.300) with two doubles and a homer in seven Grapefruit League appearances.

The Mets optioned Young to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday.

Young joined the Mets on a big-league deal over the winter after he split the 2024 season between Triple-A Memphis in the Cardinals organization and the Korea Baseball Organization's Doosan Bears. Though Young produced at a high level with both clubs, he struggled in his brief exposure to MLB pitching during his time with the Cubs in 2022 and 2023, slashing .210/.290/.435 with a 29 percent strikeout rate over 69 plate appearances. The 29-year-old has some experience in the corner outfield and at third base, but since he profiles best defensively at first base, he may not be in line for much action with the Mets unless Pete Alonso misses time with an injury.