MLB Player News

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.

Higgins was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Higgins joined Arizona as a non-roster invitee in January and was unable to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster despite a .913 OPS during spring training. Jose Herrera is poised to begin the season as the backup catcher behind starter Gabriel Moreno, but Higgins could still find himself in the mix at some point with Carson Kelly out with a fractured forearm.

Cron (back) will start at first base and bat cleanup in Sunday's split-squad Cactus League game against the Reds.

Cron will check back into Colorado's spring lineup for the first time since March 14 after a bout with back spasms prompted the club to exercise caution with him over the past two weeks. The veteran first baseman apparently checked out fine after hitting high-velocity pitching Saturday, so the back issue shouldn't be anything that hinders him at the plate moving forward.

Votto (shoulder/biceps) said prior to Saturday's Cactus League game that he could open the 2023 season on the injured list, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "I just want to make sure I'm clear: This is a performance-based game," Votto said. "You have to do your job. And I can't come back early, tank and embarrass our organization. I have to come back, perform well and be healthy."

Votto has been able to play for two weeks in the Cactus League after recovering from a torn rotator cuff and left biceps surgery that ended his 2023 season. As Nightengale notes, however, Votto is still in the process of reaching enough at-bats and defensive innings to feel comfortable enough for the beginning of the season. Votto should thus be in line for a short stint on the IL if he isn't cleared to break camp with the big club, but the assumption that he would be ready for the start of the season may have been slightly premature.

Cron will hit against a high velocity pitching machine before Saturday's Cactus League game, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

It's another step in the right direction for Cron, who has missed most of the spring while dealing with back spasms. The slugger also went through workouts Friday before the contest, and he appears to be on the right track towards getting on the field for the Rockies before Opening Day. A trip to the injured list to begin the season cannot be ruled out yet, however.

Batten was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Saturday.

Batten was fighting for a bench spot but won't break camp in the big leagues. The 27-year-old hit .105/.227/.158 in 22 MLB plate appearances as a rookie last year but posted an .840 OPS at the Triple-A level.

Alonso went 2-for-3 with a walk, a three-run home run and a stolen base in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

His third-inning blast off Luis Patino gave Alonso his fourth homer of the spring, but the steal was his first. The first baseman appears ready for Opening Day, having posted a .286/.394/.714 slash line in 34 plate appearances this spring. Alonso will take aim at his third career 40-homer campaign in 2023.

Voit's removal from the Brewers' Cactus League lineup Friday was not injury-related, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

It seems to have more to do with the pending opt-out clause in Voit's minor-league contract with Milwaukee. The 32-year-old slugger has slashed .316/.333/.526 with two home runs and two doubles over 39 plate appearances this spring in the Cactus League, so he should have other offers out there if the Brewers don't give him an Opening Day roster spot.

Hiura was informed Friday that he will not be on the Brewers' Opening Day roster, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

That might explain why Hiura was scratched from the starting lineup for Friday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers. Milwaukee will look to trade the former top prospect over the next few days, per general manager Matt Arnold. If there are no takers, he'll be put on waivers. It sounds like the 26-year-old's time in the Brewers organization is about to come to an end.

Hiura was scratched from the Brewers' lineup ahead of their game against the Dodgers on Friday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

No word yet on what might be keeping Hiura out of the lineup, but the Brewers will likely provide an update soon. Hiura is slashing just .156/.229/.219 through 35 plate appearances this spring.