MLB Player News

Smith has been removed from the starting lineup Friday as a punishment for arriving late, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

It's not a great sign for Smith, who is tabbed as the Mets' first baseman of the future. After a poor debut in 2017, where he hit .198/.262/.395 in 49 games, the Mets indicated their lack of faith in him by bringing in veteran first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. While it would be wrong to read too much into one incident, Smith is already fighting the perception that he's not a very hard worker, and this just reinforces the idea that the team isn't very happy with him. This event could be a small blow to Smith in his battle to win the starting job out of camp, though if he hits better than Gonzalez this spring, the job should still be his.

Voit altered his diet and lost approximately 15 pounds during the offseason in preparation to see occasional time in left field in 2018, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Opportunities to show he can play left field are expected to happen later on this spring, but Voit's path to extra at-bats at first base to begin Grapefruit League play has been cleared with early injuries to Matt Carpenter (back) and Jose Martinez (quad). The Cards have a lot of moving parts in their infield if their current options remain healthy, and the 27-year-old Voit is hoping to carve out a role on the 25-man roster in the coming weeks. The uphill battle for playing time is particularly difficult for Voit since he's not an ideal platoon partner for Jose Martinez, as both players hit right-handed. Voit still has minor-league options remaining, which could lead him to return to Triple-A to begin the season.

Rizzo left the Cubs' spring training complex in Scottsdale, Ariz. and returned to his native Florida following the deadly shooting Wednesday at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which the 28-year-old attended from 2003 through 2007, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Parkland, Fla. school holds a special place for Rizzo, who previously donated $150,000 to cover the cost of lights for its baseball field. Rizzo is expected to take the next several days to be with his family and the local community before returning to Arizona next week. The time away from spring camp shouldn't delay Rizzo's preparations for the 2018 season in any significant manner. After hitting 30-plus home runs and amassing 100-plus RBI and 90-plus runs for the third straight season in 2017, Rizzo once again profiles as a dependable early-round building block in fantasy drafts.

The Diamondbacks confirmed that they will employ a humidor at Chase Field in 2018, general manager Mike Hazen told the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro.

This is expected to have a significant drag on power in Chase Field. Goldschmidt will obviously be affected by this change, though clearly not the only one. We will knock a handful of homers from his and other Diamondbacks in our projections.

Flores is expected to see some time in the outfield this spring, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

The utility man has never played in the outfield -- this would be a welcome addition to his already-diverse positional tool set. Flores produced a .795 OPS in 336 at-bats for the Mets last season, and it seems like the Mets are doing what they can to ensure he can continue playing on at least a semi-regular basis. Asdrubal Cabrera is expected to take on primary duties at second base with the addition of Todd Frazier.

Alonso will attend spring training as a non-roster invitee, Abbey Mastracco of NJ.com reports.

Alonso will enter camp with little hope to make the major-league roster, but he'll get the chance to see some live arms this spring. He smashed 16 home runs and drove in 58 runs at High-A St. Lucie in 2017 before being promoted to Double-A Binghamton. Alonso is currently the No. 4 prospect within the Mets' minor-league system, and he will look to build on the success he had last season.

Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said Saturday that Cooper will likely see time in left or right field in addition to first base during spring training, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

If Cooper proves capable of manning either corner-outfield spot in spring camp, it would improve his odds of breaking camp with the big club, as the Marlins likely wouldn't be eager to keep a bench spot open for a player who can only man first base. In any event, Cooper still projects to see most of his action at first base this season, likely on the short side of a platoon with Justin Bour. The 27-year-old slashed an astounding .359/.425/.634 across 350 plate appearances in the minors last season and found success in a small sample of at-bats with the Yankees, so he could make for an interesting late-round dart in NL-only leagues.

Smith said last week that he now checks in at 224 pounds, about 30 less than he weighed at the end of the 2017 season, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports. "I feel more athletic than I've ever been," Smith said. "In spring training, I've always looked the part, but as far as my mobility and loosening up some hips and being more flexible, more agile as an athlete, I feel like this is the most advanced I've been for sure in my career."

After slashing a disappointing .198/.262/.395 across 183 plate appearances for the Mets upon being promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas last August, Smith may have felt some pressure to transform his body with the organization giving him no assurances that he would open the 2018 campaign in the big leagues. The 22-year-old is slated to battle veteran Adrian Gonzalez for the everyday first base gig during the spring and would likely report to Las Vegas if he fails to win the starting job.

Hoskins heads into spring training as the Phillies' primary left fielder, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

This will be an interesting switch for Hoskins, as he played first base exclusively prior to the 2017 season. He did log 30 games in left in the majors, so it's not entirely new to the slugger. However, this should help his fantasy stock nicely for 2018. He's currently eligible at both first base and outfield, which is outstanding when paired with his elite power potential. Hoskins projects to be a staple of the Phillies lineup for years to come, making him a valuable fantasy commodity.

Joseph seems to be on the outside of the 25-man roster looking in heading into spring training, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

This ominous outlook certainly isn't due to lack of production. Although his average and OPS dipped a bit last season, Joseph bashed 43 homers and 42 doubles over the past two seasons, helping him to drive in 116 runs in that span. The biggest reasons for his roster spot being in question are the emergence of Rhys Hoskins and the signing of Carlos Santana. At this point, it seems like Joseph is the third option at first base, and the only other position he played in his career is catcher (not counting his one-game stint as a third baseman in the minors). General manager Matt Klentak commented that he respects what the 26-year-old has done the past two seasons and that he's currently considered a part of the active roster. However, he noted that Joseph will have to earn his spot during spring training "just like everybody else," which could make things difficult if he struggles during Grapefruit League action.