MLB Player News

Walker has made the Opening Day roster, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Walker earned the roster spot with a productive spring, slashing .370/.434/.609 over 52 plate appearances. The team has said Jake Lamb will start at first base against lefties and righties, but he has a career 46 wRC+ in 412 plate appearances against southpaws, so it may not be long before the righty-hitting Walker is getting starts against lefties.

Manager Clint Hurdle said Bell will "absolutely" be the Pirates' cleanup hitter in 2019, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

Bell has primarily hit fourth throughout his career, so this should be nothing new for him. The first baseman owns a .200/.231/.360 with a pair of homers through 17 games this spring. Bell is hoping for a bounce-back year in the power department after hitting just 12 homers last season (down from 26 long balls in 2017).

Hoskins (shoulder), who is not in the lineup Sunday against the Orioles, is planning to play Monday against the Rays, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Hoskins has been nursing a sore shoulder. The first baseman was able to take batting practice and hit off a high-velocity pitching machine Sunday, clearing the way for him to return for the team's final game of spring. Assuming everything goes off without a hitch Monday, Hoskins should be ready to go for Thursday's opener against the Braves.

Tellez was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Tellez received his first cup of coffee in the majors in September and hit well with a .314/.329/.614 slash line and four home runs in 73 plate appearances, though he did strike out 21 times. The 24-year-old always figured to begin the season at Buffalo, but he didn't make the decision an easy one with five home runs and a .908 OPS this spring.

Diaz will be one of three players filling in at third base during Matt Duffy's (hamstring) stay on the injured list, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Duffy will miss at least the first seven games of the season as a result of his troublesome hamstring injury. Diaz and the versatile duo of Daniel Robertson and Joey Wendle are all slated to help man the hot corner during his absence. Given the nature of soft-tissue injuries and the fits and starts Duffy has already endured with the hamstring this spring, there's also a chance the veteran infielder is sidelined for more than just the minimum time. Whenever Diaz does shift across the infield from first base, Ji-Man Choi or Brandon Lowe will likely slot into the latter position.

Hoskins (shoulder) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

The Phillies continue to term Hoskins' shoulder soreness as mild, but the team would surely like to see the star slugger return to game action prior to Opening Day to feel more confident about his status. After Saturday, the Phillies will have only two more spring contests on the docket before the March 28 season opener versus the Braves, so Hoskins is running short on time to prove his health. Sean Rodriguez is drawing the start at first base Saturday, but Maikel Franco would be the top candidate to fill in at the position if Hoskins' absence should extend into the regular season.

Olson's surgery Friday was to repair a broken hamate bone, Andrew Simon of MLB.com reports. While there's no official timetable for his return, typically those injuries require 6-to-8 weeks off before the player can resume normal activity.

Often hitters struggle to hit for power even after returning from these procedures, and in many other instances, there are setbacks in the recovery process. With such a long period of inactivity, Olson almost certainly is going to need a lengthy recovery period and subsequent rehab assignment.

Gurriel went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's game against the Mets.

The homer was Gurriel's first of what has been a stellar spring. He started out hot and hasn't let up, posting a .371 average and 1.036 OPS over 35 at-bats. Manager AJ Hinch plans to move him around the infield, much as did last season, so Gurriel may bring position versatility to fantasy lineups. His bat doesn't profile as powerful as a traditional corner infielder, but he'll be helpful for roster construction if he's qualified at middle infield (15 starts at 2B in 2018).

Olson underwent successful surgery on his right hand Friday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Olson injured his hand during the team's opening series against the Mariners. The A's have yet to provide a timetable for his return, though he figures to begin the season on the IL, with Mark Canha and Chad Pinder handling first-base duties while Olson is out.

Alonso will be on the Mets' Opening Day roster, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

The Mets have said they'll open the season with their best 25 players, and Alonso clearly fits in as part of that group. The old regime kept him in the minors late in the year for service-time reasons, but new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen apparently has other plans. Alonso has the potential to be a weapon this season after hitting a combined .285/.395/.579 with 36 homers in 132 games across the two highest levels of the minors last year.