MLB Player News

Solano could begin the season as the starter at second base with Tommy La Stella at first base if Brandon Belt isn't ready to return after recovering from COVID-19 and mono, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt has returned to spring training games, but it's not clear if he'll be ready for Opening Day. Evan Longoria may also not be ready to play in the field as he works his way back from plantar fasciitis (the Giants have the DH at Seattle the first series), which could move Solano to third base. Solano is expected to get regular starts in the San Francisco lineup, but he'll be used in a multi-position role. Solano is hitting .441 (15-for-34) with three home runs this spring.

Diaz went 2-for-2 with a solo home run, an RBI groundout and a walk in a Grapefruit League win over the Red Sox on Friday, pushing his spring average to .290 (9-for-31) across 14 games.

Diaz was hitting just .188 as recently as March 16, but he subsequently picked up the pace at the plate and now has at least one RBI in six of his last eight exhibitions. The fact the burly infielder's late-spring surge has included a pair of round trippers is particularly encouraging, as Diaz has been working on squaring up on the ball with more authority following a nearly 15.0 percent drop in hard-contact rate and a tally of just five extra-base hits over 138 plate appearances in 2020.

Lowe was named the Rangers' starting first baseman Saturday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Lowe's top competitor, Ronald Guzman, has also made the team, but he isn't expected to play regularly at first base. Lowe could potentially thrive with regular at-bats, something he wasn't able to earn in the past two seasons with the Rays. His .215/.322/.447 slash line through his first 71 big-league games is decent, though his 31.8 percent strikeout rate is high for a player who's only shown modest power.

Voit has a partial meniscus tear and will undergo surgery, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Voit recently underwent an MRI that revealed the extent of his knee injury. Voit won't be able to participate in baseball activities for at least three weeks following his procedure, and it's not yet clear when he'll be able to return to game action. Jay Bruce will serve as the team's starting first baseman in his absence, while Derek Dietrich and Tyler Wade could also see increased playing time to begin the season.

Bohm (groin) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's spring game against the Tigers, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Bohm left Thursday's game with tightness in his groin area, and manager Joe Girardi will hold the 24-year-old out of Saturday's lineup to give him an extra day of rest. However, Bohm feels good and was able to hit and throw Friday. Girardi said that Bohm could return to the lineup for Sunday's Grapefruit League matchup against the Yankees.

Vaughn could open the regular season as the starting left fielder after he made his debut there Friday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Vaughn had a largely uneventful day in left field, his first experience patrolling the outfield in game conditions. He caught the lone flyball in his vicinity and fielded a double that rolled into the corner. Manager Tony La Russa will evaluate him as a left fielder over the next few days and make a decision based on what he sees. Vaughn, a first-base prospect who was expected to serve as the primary designated hitter in 2021, took flyballs in the outfield during spring training this year and worked there last summer at the team's alternate training site in Schaumburg.

Calhoun (knee) took live at-bats in a simulated environment Thursday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

This was the first time Calhoun has executed this activity since undergoing knee surgery earlier in March. The next and final test for the knee will be running, according to manager Torey Lovullo, who added that the outfielder is not yet at that point. Calhoun is expected to start the season on the injured list.

Shaw was reassigned to minor-league camp Friday, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Shaw was designated for assignment by the Orioles in late January but went unclaimed on waivers. The 26-year-old appeared in 20 Cactus League games but hit just .071 with three walks and two runs. Shaw will likely begin the season with Triple-A Norfolk.

Cron went 3-for-3 with a home run, a double and two runs in Thursday's spring win over the Angels.

Cron smacked a double in the fourth inning and was brought in to score later in the inning, and he tied the game with a solo home run in the sixth. The 31-year-old has had a strong spring performance and has posted a 1.180 OPS with four home runs, 10 runs and seven RBI across 16 Cactus League games. Cron's contract was selected by the Rockies on Saturday, and he'll serve as the team's primary first baseman this year while playing his home games at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

Votto (COVID-19) will bat third and play first base Friday against Arizona, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Votto tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-March but has been back with the team for workouts for the past several days. He'd only gotten into four spring games prior to coming down with the illness, so it remains to be seen whether or not he can get up to full speed by Opening Day.