MLB Player News

Hoskins (shoulder) remains out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Hoskins has been out for a few days with mild shoulder soreness. It was initially reported that he could return Friday, but he'll wind up missing at least one more game. Maikel Franco will fill in for him at first base and would likely shift from third to first on a regular basis should Hoskins miss an extended period at any point this season.

McBride will head to minor-league camp Tuesday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

McBride doesn't appear to be particularly close to returning to the big leagues, as the 33-year-old has a 28 wRC+ in 92 career games. He'll likely spend the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, his hometown team.

Goldschmidt and the Cardinals are expected to agree on a contract extension Thursday worth approximately $130 million over five years, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The Cardinals traded for Goldschmidt over the offseason with just one year remaining on his deal, presumably with the intention of convincing him to stick around long term. The deal closes off the possibility of the first baseman leaving for a more hitter-friendly home park in the offseason, but it will keep him in an organization that should be able to put a quality lineup around him for the next several years.

Dixon was optioned to Triple-A Toledo on Thursday.

Dixon was a long shot to break camp with the Tigers, and his .171/.286/.371 line in camp didn't do much to help his case. He'll wait for an injury to open up a roster spot.

Olson left Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Mariners in the sixth inning with right hand pain, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports. He went 1-for-2 with a run scored before departing.

The Athletics aren't likely to provide an update on the severity of Olson's injury until he's re-evaluated in California when the team arrives back from Japan. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Olson experienced the pain in his hand after fouling off a pitch and had difficulty gripping the bat, which suggests his injury may be more than a day-to-day concern. If Olson is forced to miss time, Mark Canha or Chad Pinder could be in line for more action at first base.

Rizzo entered Wednesday's Cactus League action slashing .303/.395/.515 with two home runs and seven RBI through 14 games.

Rizzo has been the model of consistency in Chicago, as he enters 2019 with four straight seasons with at least 100 RBI. The 29-year-old also had an OPS of at least .846 with at least 25 home runs in each of those campaigns. Those low-water marks actually came last season, representing a down season by Rizzo's lofty standards but still great production for fantasy owners.

The Twins will start breaking Kirilloff in at first base this season, Twins Daily reports.

This makes all the sense in the world, as Kirilloff has filled out since his days as an amateur and the Twins have a crowded outfield already, without factoring in last year's first-round pick Trevor Larnach, who is a corner outfielder/designated hitter and on the fast track to the majors. A move to first base does not negatively impact Kirilloff's fantasy stock.

Hiura will open the season at Triple-A San Antonio, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Hiura will still travel with the Brewers as the team continues its exhibition slate, but he's been told he won't make the Opening Day roster. That's hardly a surprise, as he's yet to reach Triple-A, but if his strong performances as a prospect suggest he'll have a chance to make an impact at the top level at some point this season.

Manager Gabe Kapler said that Hoskins is dealing with mild shoulder soreness and will be held out of the Phillies' Grapefruit League lineups until at least Friday's game against the Yankees, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

It's not ideal that Hoskins is hurting with Opening Day just over a week away, but Kapler noted that the slugger is merely being rested for precautionary purposes. At this juncture, the Phillies aren't concerned about Hoskins' availability for the start of the season, though Maikel Franco would be next in line for reps at first base in the event the 26-year-old doesn't progress as quickly as anticipated.

Abreu started at designated hitter and went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Tuesday's game against the Reds.

Abreu is cruising through the Cactus League with a .333 average (15-for-45) to go along with his four home runs and 14 RBI over 15 games. The 32-year-old is coming off MLB-career lows in games (128), homers (22) and RBI (78) in 2018, and the White Sox hope to coax more at-bats and production out of him this season by giving Abreu more starts as the designated hitter.