MLB Player News

Alonso got the start at first base and hit second in Monday's exhibition game against the Orioles, going 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

The Mets have yet to announce their plans for Alonso -- it's possible they're trying to follow the current trend across MLB and sign him to a long-term deal before putting him on the Opening Day roster -- but if this lineup was a preview of his assignment in the regular season, it's an intriguing spot in the batting order for a player who posted a .395 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A in 2018 along with his 36 homers. Wherever he hits, Alonso has the upside to make a fantasy impact.

Smith got the start at DH in Monday's exhibition game against the Orioles, going 1-for-5 with a three-run home run.

The ninth-inning blast off Pedro Araujo won the game for the Mets. Smith closes the books on a solid spring that saw him slash .321/.367/.464 with two homers, but assuming Pete Alonso breaks camp on the 25-man roster, Smith will likely be relegated to a bench role unless the rookie really struggles.

Alonso hasn't been told as of Monday whether or not he'll make the Mets' Opening Day roster, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Reports from last week indicated that Alonso had made the team, but those now appear to be premature. Alonso's excellent spring, in which he's hit .358/.386/.642 with four homers, certainly suggests he deserves a roster spot, but it's possible that the Mets still haven't ruled out keeping him in the minors for a few weeks in order to manipulate his service time.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in a Grapefruit League win over the Braves on Sunday.

Fresh off signing a five-year, $130 million extension earlier in the weekend, Goldschmidt commemorated the milestone with his third round tripper of spring. The veteran slugger has wasted no time in acclimating to his new St. Louis digs, hitting .280 with three doubles, one triple, three homers and six RBI this spring.

Bour walked three times and scored a pair of runs across four plate appearances Sunday in the Angels' 8-4 exhibition win over the Dodgers.

Bour posted a career-best 14.7 percent walk rate in 2018, so the three free passes he took Sunday shouldn't be viewed as a major outlier. The 30-year-old's combination of plate discipline and power make him an underrated asset in deeper mixed and AL-only leagues, and he should at the very least have a clear path to steady action for the first month of the season while Shohei Ohtani (elbow) is on the injured list.

Cooper appears to be the Marlins' Opening Day right fielder after Peter O'Brien was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports.

O'Brien could return to the majors if he proves he can make at least semi-consistent contact, but in the meantime Cooper will likely handle the bulk of the work in right. The 28-year-old is hitting .395 (17-for-43) this spring, but he hasn't gone yard and his .276/.325/.382 career line during his brief big-league career suggests he won't be adding much power to a fairly feeble Marlins lineup.

Hoskins (shoulder) is back in the lineup Monday against the Rays.

The minor shoulder issue that popped up early last week seemed to potentially threaten Hoskins' Opening Day availability, but he should be good to go, barring setbacks. He'll take his customary cleanup spot in the lineup Monday in a batting order which looks to be a copy of the one the Phillies will run out on Opening Day. With three new bats ahead of him (Andrew McCutchen, Jean Segura and Bryce Harper) and a fourth right behind him (J.T. Realmuto), Hoskins should be primed for a strong year in his third big-league season.

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.