MLB Player News

Joseph was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Thursday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The Rangers needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the addition of Kevin Jepsen, who made the Opening Day roster after a strong spring, and Joseph was the corresponding roster casualty. The 26-year-old has knocked 20-plus homers in each of the previous two seasons, though that has come with a lackluster .240/.289/.432 slash line. He should garner some interest on waivers.

Gurriel (hand) was not placed on the 10-day disabled list and will begin a five-game suspension stemming from the inappropriate gesture he made toward Yu Darvish during last season's World Series, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

Gurriel will be eligible to return Tuesday against Baltimore. The 33-year-old was able to participate in live batting practice this past weekend and didn't experience any discomfort after undergoing hand surgery near the end of February. Looking ahead, it's expected that Gurriel will serve as the team's primary first baseman upon his activation.

Bell went 1-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and one run scored Tuesday against the Phillies.

Bell's home run was his fourth of spring training and came against Jake Arrieta. His ability to hit for power in 2017, his first full season in the major leagues, was a nice surprise as his .211 ISO was his highest mark at any professional level. He did sacrifice plate discipline as a result, but he has struck out just six times in 51 at-bats this spring while still producing eight extra-base hits. That development is an encouraging sign that he can build off his 2017 season by maintaining his home run production while also improving his batting average and runs total. Bell is expected to bat cleanup for the Bucs.

Flores will not be in Thursday's Opening Day lineup against St. Louis, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

In an expected move with right-hander Carlos Martinez on the mound for the Cardinals, manager Mickey Callaway elected to start Adrian Gonzalez at first base. Earlier this week, Callaway confirmed that Flores will see time against righties, but Gonzalez will likely start a majority of those contests.

The Angels informed Carter on Monday that he wouldn't be included on the club's Opening Day roster.

Carter was vying for role as a power bat behind Albert Pujols at first base in addition to jockeying for at-bats at designated hitter, but it appears the Angels are comfortable with Luis Valbuena and Jefry Marte serving in those capacities. Unless other teams reach out to him with interest in adding him to their 40-man roster, Carter will likely stick with the Angels and report to Triple-A Salt Lake to begin the season.

Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro said Friday that Guerrero will open the 2018 season at Double-A New Hampshire, TSN.ca reports.

He'll be joined in the Eastern League by Bo Bichette, giving New Hampshire the most highly regarded pair of hitting prospects of any affiliate across the minors. Guerrero offers the higher ceiling of the two players due to his exceptional hit tool and raw power, which should make him a bankable source of both batting average and home-run production from the corner infield once he reaches his peak. Before reporting to New Hampshire ahead of his second year of full-season ball, the 19-year-old is scheduled to appear in exhibition games Monday and Tuesday with the Blue Jays in Montreal, the old stomping grounds of his Hall-of-Fame father.

Goldschmidt was struck in the helmet by a pitch during a minor-league game Sunday against the Rockies, but he was uninjured and remained in the contest for two more plate appearances, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

The hit by pitch may have caused some anxious moments for the Diamondbacks, but the fact Goldschmidt remained in the contest suggests that he'll be fine for Opening Day. Goldschmidt concluded spring training with a .275/.362/.787 slash line and homered twice in 40 at-bats during Cactus League action.

Smith (quad) will remain in extended spring training at the start of the season, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Smith has been limited to just one game this spring while battling a quad strain. He'll spend some time in extended spring and then presumably at Triple-A Las Vegas before pushing for a return to the big leagues. It's a disappointing start to the year for the 22-year-old, who was expected to have a good chance to open as the Mets' starting first baseman. Wilmer Flores and Adrian Gonzalez appear in line to have a fairly even split on playing time at first base to start the season. Gonzalez won't be much of an obstacle for Smith later this season, but Flores has a chance to gain a larger share of that role, and he is probably a better overall player than Smith at this stage.

Abreu (hamstring) started at first base, played three innings and went 1-for-2 in Sunday's Cactus League finale.

Abreu sustained an injury to his right hamstring last Tuesday, which was considered a mild strain, but the White Sox held him out since then as a precaution. The first baseman and middle-of-the-order bat should be ready to go for Thursday's opener against the Royals in Kansas City.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch said Sunday that there is "potential" that Gurriel (hand) will avoid a stint on the disabled list to begin the season, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Hinch's comments came after Gurriel took batting practice against a high-velocity machine Sunday, with the first baseman showing no ill effects from the left hand surgery he required four weeks earlier. Gurriel displayed good driving power during the session and indicated he continues to feel better with each passing day, creating hope that a multi-week absence may not be in store. While the Astros will head back to Texas following Sunday's Grapefruit League finale, Gurriel will remain in Florida and participate in minor-league or simulated games at some point this week. The Astros may wait and see how Gurriel responds to that activity before determining whether or not a DL stint is necessary, but regardless of the team's decision, the first baseman will still have to serve a five-game suspension stemming from the inappropriate gesture he made toward Yu Darvish in the World Series last fall.