MLB Player News

Freeman was scratched from the lineup for Tuesday's season opener against the Cubs in Tokyo due to left rib discomfort, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Vassegh notes that Freeman was on the field for batting practice prior to the game and suggests the first baseman might have felt discomfort during batting practice. The timing is brutal, but if there is a silver lining, it's that Freeman's removal from the lineup is not related to the ankle that required surgery in the offseason.

Freeman has been scratched from the lineup for Tuesday's season opener against the Cubs in Tokyo, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

The reason for Freeman's removal was not immediately available. He was brought along slowly in camp after undergoing right ankle surgery in December. Enrique Hernandez will move in to first base, opening up left field for Michael Conforto against left-hander Shota Imanaga.

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.