MLB Player News

Olson went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The first baseman took Zach Eflin deep in the third inning, giving Olson six homers on the spring to lead all hitters, in either Florida or Arizona. His 1.549 OPS is also second among players with at least 30 at-bats, behind only the Phillies' Edmundo Sosa. Tiny samples aside, Olson has launched more than 30 homers in each of the last three full MLB seasons and topped 100 RBI in the last two campaigns. The 28-year-old already appears locked in at the plate ahead of Opening Day.

Hiura has brought back the toe tap in his swing, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

It's something that Hiura is trying to reincorporate on the fly as he struggles to find a groove in Cactus League play. Through his first 35 plate appearances this spring, the 26-year-old has batted just .156/.229/.219 with zero home runs and 15 strikeouts. He is out of minor-league options, so a tough decision could be coming soon as the Brewers sort out their Opening Day roster.

Flores has gone 6-for-23 (.261) over eight Cactus League games.

Flores is a veteran, so there's not too much to read into his performance so far. He was delayed to begin camp while waiting for the birth of his son. Flores' ability to cover multiple positions should see him in the lineup regularly versus left-handed pitchers. His best path to playing time might be at second base on days where Thairo Estrada shifts to shortstop to cover a resting Brandon Crawford, who has been dealing with knee soreness this spring.

Freeman is hitting second and playing first base Sunday in a Cactus League game against the Athletics.

A day after returning to the lineup as the designated hitter following a bit of hamstring tightness, Freeman is back on the field for the Dodgers on Sunday. The former MVP appears to be a full-go for the regular season and should once again be a fantasy stalwart in 2023.

Walker went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a stolen base in Saturday's spring game against the Guardians.

This was Walker's first appearance since he was hit by a pitch on the hip Monday. He shook off the downtime early, launching a 1-0 pitch 430 feet to deep left field in the second inning. He walked and stole a base an inning later and nearly missed a second home run on his final at-bat in the fifth.

Santana (knee) is starting at first base and batting cleanup in Sunday's spring game versus the Orioles.

Santana exited Thursday's Grapefruit League game with left knee discomfort, but he's back in the lineup Sunday after requiring only a couple days off. The veteran slugger had a .692 OPS in 131 games last year, and he is expected to split playing time between first base and designated hitter with Ji-Man Choi this season.

Cronenworth hit a two-run home run Saturday in a Cactus League victory over the Brewers.

Cronenworth blasted a shot off Jake Cousins with a runner on in the fifth inning. It's the infielder's second homer of the spring season, and he's knocked in seven runs. On top of that production, Cronenworth has hit a commendable .412/.487/.735 in Arizona, and he looks like a strong candidate to bounce back from his disappointing 2022 campaign.

Freeman went 2-for-2 with a walk in Saturday's spring game against the White Sox.

Freeman was removed after three plate appearances, but that was to be expected. It was the first game back for the first baseman after he left Tuesday's World Baseball Classic game for Team Canada with tightness in his hamstring. There's no reason to think that Freeman won't be ready for the regular season, and his next step should be playing in the field sometime soon.

Mervis finished the World Baseball Classic 1-for-13 with a walk while playing for Team Israel.

Mervis faced some stiff MLB-level competition in a pool that featured the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, so the struggles aren't too surprising. The 24-year-old is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Iowa, though he likely isn't that far away from his debut in the majors. Mervis had an OPS north of .900 at both Double-A and Triple-A in 2022 and could make a fantasy impact if he sees regular playing time for the Cubs at any point.

Walker (hip) is starting at first base and batting cleanup Saturday against the Guardians.

He was removed from Monday's game after a hit-by-pitch and took a few days to get right, but the injury was apparently quite minor. Walker should be Arizona's everyday first baseman this season.