MLB Player News

Naylor (neck) is back in the lineup Friday against Texas.

Naylor missed a few days after feeling tightness in his neck, but he's been cleared to both bat and play left field. The 22-year-old has gone 2-for-7 with a walk this spring as he looks to carve out a role in a crowded outfield.

Shaw was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Friday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old joined the Giants for the closing stretch last season but went 1-for-18 over 16 games. Shaw had a .298/.355/.592 slash line at Sacramento last year and will look to replicate those numbers in 2020.

Rizzo was scratched from Thursday's spring game against the Rangers due to a blister, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Corban Joseph will enter the lineup at first base in place of Rizzo, who should be considered day-to-day after a blister opened up on his right middle finger. With three weeks to go until Opening Day, it doesn't seem like this issue will affect Rizzo's availability for the start of the season.

Cron said he altered his mechanics last season after breaking his thumb but noted that his swing feels more natural heading into 2020, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Cron had offseason thumb surgery and didn't swing for a while, which he said allowed him to basically reset his swing. This is good news, because the first baseman hit .266 with an .821 OPS, 17 home runs and 54 RBIs in 78 games for the Twins before the injury. After returning, he played 47 more games and slashed just .229/.280/.420 with seven home runs. A healthy Cron might push for 30 long balls and should hit in the heart of Detroit's order all year.

Naylor has sat out the last four days after feeling tightness in his neck after a throw, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Naylor had hoped to return to action Wednesday but instead was scratched from the lineup after reporting stiffness. "He wanted to go. We thought it was best (to) give it another day or two," said manager Jayce Tingler. Naylor is fighting for an Opening Day roster slot but isn't projected to start in either outfield corner.

Padlo (illness) reported back to Rays camp Wednesday and said he's been cleared to resume full baseball activities, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Padlo had been sidelined for all of spring training thus far due to what the Rays deemed a "non-baseball-related illness." The 23-year-old shed some light on the matter Wednesday, telling the media that he had been dealing with severe and persistent headaches that he's since been able to treat through medication. The corner infield was added to Rays' 40-man roster over the winter, but even if he hadn't missed time in camp, he wouldn't have been a serious candidate to earn an Opening Day gig with the big club. Instead, expect Padlo to report back to Triple-A Durham to begin the season.

Calhoun went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's spring game against Kansas City.

Calhoun is 4-for-10 with a home run, five RBI and five walks in six spring appearances. He's batted out of the three hole in four games with one game at cleanup and another batting sixth. The 32-year-old outfielder's declining batting average over the last three seasons suggests a lower placement in the order once the regular season kicks off. As spring training draws to a close, and the lineups take on a regular-season look, a better indication of where Calhoun slots in should emerge.

Clemens went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.

Clemens is likely headed for another season in the minors after reaching Double-A late last year, but the 23-year-old has made his mark with the big club when given a chance this spring. He's slashing a robust .417/.500/.667 through six Grapefruit League games and could be a prospect to keep an eye on this year if he continues to hit in the minors.

Votto had a single in his final at-bat Monday against the Dodgers, making him 1-for-9 for the spring season, albeit with six walks, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "I didn't even know that," manager David Bell said. "I do know how many walks he's gotten. It seems like he's been on base the whole spring. Those might be the best spring training at-bats you can have, walks. You're seeing more pitches and getting a better feel for the zone and all that.

With Votto coming off of his worst season, he's under extra scrutiny this spring to see if he's showing any signs of correcting what held him back in 2019. The Reds' batters are playing every other day right now, but that activity should pick up following Tuesday's off-day.

White (groin) went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI in a Cactus League loss to the Rockies on Monday. He's now hitting .455 over his first four spring games.

White had been sidelined since Wednesday due to groin soreness, but he looked right back to form in his return Monday. The promising first baseman lines up for an everyday role to open the 2020 season, and although he only has 18 plate appearances worth of experience at the Triple-A level, his early success this year and .293/.350/.488 slash at Double-A Arkansas in 2019 both corroborate his talent with the bat.