MLB Player News

Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Monday's 6-0 win over the Braves.

Hitting second for the Mets behind Jose Reyes, Cabrera picked up right where he left off in 2016, a season in which he posted a career-high .810 OPS. The steal was a bit of a surprise, as the 31-year-old only managed 11 stolen bases over the last two seasons combined, but if he maintains a premium spot in the batting order he should be a steady source of runs and RBI.

Freeman went 3-for-4 with a triple in Monday's Opening Day loss to the Mets.

Coming off a season in which he hit a career-high six triples, Freeman knocked a three-bagger for his first hit of 2017. The Braves scored the second-fewest runs (649) in MLB last year, but their lineup is expected to be markedly improved this season, even though it didn't look the part Monday. Freeman has been able to produce strong numbers with a weak supporting cast in recent campaigns, so assuming the roster pans out as anticipated, the first baseman could see a boost in stats this year.

Bell, who belted an RBI single Saturday in Montreal, finishes spring training with a .116/.269/.140 line in 15 exhibition games. "I feel ready to go," he told DK Pittsburgh Sports. "It could've come along a lot sooner, but the last week or so, I've gotten the reps I needed to hopefully drive in runs. When I'm on I can hit different pitches to different fields and I feel like I'm there."

He's expected to see the majority of action at first base, but it remains to be seen how patient the Pirates will be if he slumps. There's been talk of shifting Josh Harrison from second base to third, starting Adam Frazier at second and moving David Freese from third base to first on occasion. Of course, if Bell plays the way he did last year, that won't happen often.

Freeman went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run off Michael Pineda in Friday's exhibition game against the Yankees.

It was the first game played in SunTrust Park, the Braves' new home, and while it's way too early to draw any conclusions about how the park will play, it's at least worth noting that Freeman and Greg Bird both launched deep drives to right field while Chris Carter dropped one just over the short wall in left field. If Atlanta's new stadium does prove to be friendly to power hitters, Freeman should have no problem matching or topping last season's career-high 34 homers.

Walker was outrighted to Triple-A Reno on Thursday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Two days after claiming Walker, the Diamondbacks have passed him through waivers and outrighted him off the 40-man roster. He'll spend the year as organizational depth in 2017.

Stassi has earned a spot on the Phillies' Opening Day roster, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Stassi was competing with Jesmuel Valentin and Daniel Nava for the Phillies' final two bench spots. The 27-year-old went 19-for-59 (.339) with six taters and 17 RBI this spring, solidifying himself a spot on the 25-man roster to open the season.

Goldschmidt has gone 9-for-26 (.346 average) with one homer and six RBI during Cactus League play.

Goldschmidt was also able to pick up 13 at-bats in his five appearances for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, so despite the lack of Cactus League appearances, he should be fully geared up for Opening Day. The first baseman's slugging took an unexpected hit in 2016, but even if he fails to notice much of a rebound in homers during the upcoming campaign, he could see his run-producing opportunities increase with the Diamondbacks getting a healthy A.J. Pollock back at the top of the order after Pollock sat out much of last season with a fractured elbow.

Stassi's chances of earning a roster spot with the Phillies improved with the release of Chris Coghlan on Tuesday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com report.

Stassi has hit .320 with five home runs and a 1.050 OPS this spring while seeing playing time at first base and in the outfield. He is competing with Daniel Nava and Jesmuel Valentin for one of two bench spots.

Walker was claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Walker was designated for assignment after the Reds claimed Scooter Gennett off waivers from the Brewers. The 26-year-old was 7-for-37 (.189) this spring before being optioned down to Triple-A. He carries some power potential, but he'll likely spend the year as organizational depth with the Diamondbacks in 2017.

Freeman went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.

He's been scorching hot all spring, hitting .500 through 40 at-bats, but only two of his 20 hits have gone for extra bases so the performance isn't quite as impressive as it looks at first glance. Nonetheless, Freeman will carry a lot of momentum into Opening Day as he looks to build on his breakout 2016.