MLB Player News

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker indicated Wednesday that Gurriel will primarily be used as a bat off the bench, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Schumaker did say that he feels comfortable deploying Gurriel against both righties and lefties but also went on to confirm that Garrett Cooper will remain the team's primary first baseman. There is very little fantasy appeal in the 2023 outlook of a 38-year-old reserve player who slashed just .242/.288/.360 across 584 regular-season plate appearances in 2022.

Hoskins is scheduled to undergo left ACL reconstruction surgery Thursday.

The procedure will be performed by Dr. Steve Singleton in Fort Worth, Texas. Hoskins blew out his left knee on a non-contact play in the field last Thursday during one of the Phillies' final Grapefruit League games. He can be ruled out for the entire 2023 season, and he is scheduled to become a free agent in November. It's a brutal all-around turn of events for the 30-year-old first baseman and the reigning NL champions.

Hiura cleared waivers and was outrighted Tuesday to Triple-A Nashville, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Hiura was designated for assignment Monday, a few days after the Brewers informed him that he wouldn't be included on the Opening Day roster. It's rather surprising that he didn't draw waiver-wire interest from other teams as a 26-year-old former top prospect, but that's how far his star has fallen. Hiura also couldn't elect free agency because this was his first career outright assignment. He'll remain part of the Brewers organization for now at a 2023 salary of $2.2 million.

Toglia was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque by the Rockies on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old seemed to have a good chance of making the Opening Day roster in Colorado before the Rockies signed Jurickson Profar last week. Toglia posted impressive numbers in the upper minors last season before struggling badly with strikeouts upon his arrival to the majors. He struck out 24 times in 73 at-bats this spring in the Cactus League, though he did also produce a shiny .900 OPS. Toglia is likely to get another extended look in the early part of the 2023 regular season.

Reds manager David Bell confirmed Monday that Votto (shoulder/biceps) will open the season on the 10-day injured list, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Though Votto made a push late in spring training to be ready to go for Opening Day, the Reds will ultimately give him more time to build up after he underwent surgery last August to repair a torn left rotator cuff and a torn left bicep. Votto hasn't hit any reported snags in his recovery since making his Cactus League debut March 12, so he should be ready to report to Triple-A Louisville to begin a rehab assignment Friday, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. Tyler Stephenson and Wil Myers both made multiple starts at first base during Cactus League play and should serve as the primary replacements at the position until Votto is cleared to return from the IL.

Voit re-signed Monday with the Brewers on a one-year deal that includes a club option for 2024, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Voit technically opted out of his minor-league contract with the Brewers over the weekend, but his return seemed likely after the team informed Keston Hiura that he wouldn't be included on the Opening Day roster. With Milwaukee officially designated Hiura for assignment Monday, the Brewers will now formally add Voit to the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster. The 32-year-old should play regularly against left-handers and will get a little action versus righties, too, on days Jesse Winker plays the outfield.

The Brewers designated Hiura for assignment Monday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Hiura was told Friday that he wouldn't be a part of the Opening Day roster and now he's been dropped from the team's 40-man roster. The former top prospect for Milwaukee has never really clicked at the major-league level, most recently batting .226 with a career-high 41.7 percent strikeout rate over 234 at-bats in 80 games last season. Hiura will now either be claimed by another team, remain with Triple-A Nashville or be released outright. Considering the fact that he's only 26 years old, it's unlikely that he wouldn't draw interest from another team.

The Phillies optioned Clemens to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday.

Clemens and Scott Kingery were among the players Philadelphia sent to minor-league camp in the latest round of roster cuts, moves that likely ensure that Dalton Guthrie and Jake Cave have claimed the final bench spots on the team's Opening Day squad. After being acquired from the Tigers this offseason in a five-layer deal, Clemens made a big impression in his first spring with the Phillies, producing a 1.002 OPS while stealing three bases over 19 games. His ability to play multiple spots in the infield as well as both corner-outfield spots should put him near the top of the list for a call-up if the Phillies' position-player depth is tested at any point.

Dixon was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Sunday.

Dixon's contract was selected by the Padres late in the 2022 campaign, but he'll begin this season in the minors. He slashed .371/.447/.866 with 13 homers, 32 RBI, 24 runs and three stolen bases over 25 games at the Triple-A level last year, and he'll be a candidate to be called up if the Padres need additional depth at some point this year.

Marlins general manager Kim Ng said Sunday that Gurriel "should be there on Thursday," implying his contract will be selected prior to the Marlins' season opener with the Mets that day, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

After drawing limited interest in free agency this winter, Gurriel settled for a minor-league deal with Miami in March and showed well enough in his limited time in the Grapefruit League to earn a spot on the Marlins' big-league roster. The 38-year-old struggled mightily in 2022 with a .242/.288/.360 slash line over 584 plate appearances, but he led all of baseball with a .319 average in 2021. Though he may be able to bounce back in the batting-average department in 2023 if he can stave off any major decline in the career-worst 12.5 percent strikeout rate he sported a season ago, Gurriel's advancing age, paucity of power and poorer team context with the move from Houston to Miami may limit his fantasy appeal largely to NL-only formats.