MLB Player News

Blandino was optioned to Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.

Blandino -- who went 12-for-37 (.324) this spring -- did his best to work his way onto the Opening Day roster in a utility role, but the Reds ultimately decided it was best for the 25-year-old to begin the season in the minor leagues. His demotion to Triple-A likely means Phil Gosselin will crack the 25-man roster in a bench capacity. An inseason injury to one of the Reds' regulars could provide Blandino an opportunity to make his way back to the majors.

Cabrera (mouth) will start at second base and bat fifth in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Cabrera was unavailable for two days earlier last week following a dental procedure, but he's in fine condition now after logging nine at-bats in two games over the past three days. DiComo notes that the Mets' lineup for the Grapefruit League finale is a good approximation of what the club will roll with Opening Day against the Cardinals on March 29, so look for Cabrera to regularly slot in fifth in the order in the early part of the season.

Cooper went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

There may not be room on the 25-man roster for Cooper, but the 27-year-old hasn't hurt his chances with his performance at the plate this spring, slashing .294/.321/.510 with three homers in 22 games. If he does break camp with the big club, Cooper would primarily serve as a pinch hitter while seeing occasional action in the field at first base and at the outfield corners. He had a big 2017 at Triple-A Colorado Springs in the Rockies' system, but he has yet to prove he can produce either in the majors or at a lower altitude.

Voit was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Friday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

Voit played in 62 games for the Cardinals during his first taste of the big leagues last season, hitting .246/.306/.430 with four home runs and 18 RBI. After a hot start to spring training, the first baseman cooled off over the past few weeks and gave the organization reason to believe that he could use a little more time in the minors. Instead, St. Louis will keep Jose Martinez on the Opening Day roster as a backup to Matt Carpenter at first base, as well as someone who can handle duties in the outfield.

Hoskins is slashing .279/.415/.651 and has recorded four home runs and a 10:10 BB:K across 43 at-bats in Grapefruit League play.

Though Hoskins only has about two months worth of big-league action on his ledger, the prodigious power he displayed in that sample and his expected assignment in the heart of the Philadelphia lineup in 2018 has the 25-year-old going as an early-round selection in fantasy drafts. It's encouraging to see that Hoskins is still slugging at a healthy rate in the spring, but the excellent plate discipline he has shown shouldn't be overlooked either. Hoskins' ability to work counts and get on base while keeping his strikeout rate at an acceptable level should make him less prone to the long slumps that often befall power hitters over the course of a season.

Flores, who is set to platoon with Adrian Gonzalez at first base, could see playing time against right-handed pitchers as well, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. "Wilmer deserves to play, and not just against lefties," manager Mickey Callaway said Thursday.

Gonzalez's continued struggles throughout spring could leave Flores taking the big side of the Mets' first base platoon. Flores has raked this spring with a .333/.392/.600 slash line in 45 at-bats while Gonzalez has been mired in a 9-for-47 slump. The 26-year-old Flores has always been billed as a player who dominates left-handed pitching, but he showed marked improvement last season against righties with a .262/.459/.765 slash line to go with 11 of his 18 home runs. He's already locked in to face lefties, but now it seems Flores will see playing time against righties as well.

Flores will begin the season in a platoon with Adrian Gonzalez at first base, Kristie Ackert of The New York Daily News reports.

He could see action all over the diamond as the season progresses, but this role will at least give Flores semi-regular playing time even if the rest of the roster stays healthy. The 26-year-old has a career .838 OPS against LHP, giving him fantasy value not only in NL-only formats but also as a streaming or DFS option when he does get a start.

Smith (quad) is unlikely to return to game action this spring, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Smith strained his quad in late February and is still unable to run. He'll start in the minor leagues and try to get up to speed there. With strong performances at Triple-A, he could be back with the Mets before long, as the 35-year-old Adrian Gonzalez is unlikely to provide a major obstacle.

Dixon has had a good spring, hitting .351/.385/.703 in 39 plate appearances, and putting himself in contention for the Reds' last roster spot, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports.

Dixon is not on the 40-man roster and isn't considered a prospect, so he has a few things working against him. However, sometimes that sort of profile fits a utility spot better than a prospect, when the organization wants that prospect to play every day, as the Reds did with Nick Senzel. He's competing against the likes of Alex Blandino, Cliff Pennington and Phil Gosselin for one or two spots, depending on how many relievers the Reds open the season with.

Walker was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Tuesday.

Walker produced strong spring training numbers, slashing .302/.388/.605 with three home runs in 43 at-bats. However, there was simply no room for him in the majors with Paul Goldschmidt holding down first base and plenty of other outfielders ahead of him in the pecking order. Walker will instead spend another season toiling at Triple-A as he looks to improve the .979 OPS he produced with the Aces last season.