MLB Player News

Freeman has arrived in Florida and should begin on-field workouts early this week once he clears intake testing, Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The first baseman got a delayed start to camp after his wife gave birth last weekend, but there are no worries about him being ready for Opening Day. Freeman is coming off an MVP campaign, and with free agency potentially looming next offseason, he figures to be locked in from the jump.

Smith (not injury related) arrived at spring training Wednesday, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.

Smith's arrival at camp was slightly delayed due to a non-physical issue, but he'll join the team for workouts Wednesday. Even after his brief absence, Smith should have plenty of time to prepare for the regular season.

Noda was acquired by the Dodgers from the Blue Jays on Tuesday to complete the trade for Ross Stripling, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Stripling was traded to the Blue Jays in August for a pair of players to be named later, and Noda will be the second player the Dodgers receive to complete the deal. The 24-year-old last played in 2019 at the High-A level and had a .238/.372/.418 slash line with 13 homers and 14 stolen bases in 117 games.

Cooper is expected to split playing time at first base with Jesus Aguilar to begin the season, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports.

"In general, we feel like we are going to get both of those guys a lot of at-bats with a combination of first base and outfield," manager Don Mattingly said. "Days off for different guys. We want both of these guys in the lineup as much as possible." The 30-year-old Cooper could also see reps in right field, but the offseason addition of Adam Duvall will likely limit how much time is available for other players in right. As a result, it might take a trade, or the last-minute re-introduction of the DH to the National League, for either Cooper or Aguilar to see anything close to a full-time role, even before considering the potential presence of prospect Lewin Diaz in the mix. Cooper certainly earned a significant role in Miami after posting a .281/.347/.459 slash line in 141 games over the last two seasons.

Freeman has yet to arrive at camp for Atlanta after his wife gave birth to their third child Sunday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

"Not a big deal at all," manager Brian Snitker said. "Most of the time, he gets hot the first 10 days then gets bored for 10 days and gets it back going. Not worried about him at all. I'll be honest with you, he doesn't need to be here." Freeman, who is heading into the final season of his current contract, is expected to report later this week and will then need a couple days to get through the league's COVID-19 protocols before he'll be able to get on the field, leaving him plenty of time to prepare for the regular season.

Goldschmidt (elbow) was spotted taking part in fielding drills during the Cardinals' workout Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

As an established veteran, Goldschmidt may be eased into game action during the Grapefruit League slate, but his presence on the field for the start of spring training suggests he's made a full recovery from the offseason procedure he required to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. The 33-year-old doesn't provide much value as a base stealer these days, but he's nonetheless been a rock-solid fantasy option at first base through his first two seasons in St. Louis, and that's unlikely to change in 2021. Expect him to slot in the heart of the order of a Cardinals lineup that could be improved this season after the addition of Nolan Arenado earlier in the winter.

Arizona general manager expects Cabrera to provide at-bats against left-handers, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The Diamondbacks added the veteran infielder, who can play third base and second base, to balance a lefty-dominant lineup. The general manager doesn't believe Cabrera's presence will prevent giving playing time to younger infielders, while he'll provide an established clubhouse presence. One obvious role for the 35-year-old is to start at third base against left-handers, with Eduardo Escobar sliding to second and Ketel Marte moving to center field.

Smith missed the Mets' first day of full-squad workouts but is not dealing with any injury, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Several players around the league have faced slight delays while going through intake testing, though the Mets didn't confirm exactly why Smith wasn't available. Manager Luis Rojas said Monday that Smith should arrive by the end of the week, which should give him plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming season.

Hoskins (elbow) has been medically cleared to play and expects to be ready for Opening Day, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Hoskins bounced back from a somewhat disappointing 2019 campaign in last year's shortened season, hitting .245/.384/.503. His campaign was cut short after just 41 games, however, as he suffered an elbow injury in mid-September which eventually required Tommy John surgery. That procedure carries a much shorter recovery timeline for hitters than it does for pitchers, but his readiness for Opening Day still appeared in doubt at the time of the procedure. He's evidently found himself on the fast end of the timetable, so he should have plenty of time to get up to speed and play a full regular season, barring setbacks.

Manager Brian Snitker told reporters Freeman could bat third this season, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Freeman split time between the second and third spot in the Braves' lineup last season, hitting third on 32 occasions and second 26 times. Looking ahead to the 2021 campaign, Snitker reasoned that with currently no designated hitter in the National League, slotting Freeman into the three hole would allow him more RBI chances.