MLB Player News

Cron went 2-for-3 with his first home run of the spring in Tuesday's win over the Cubs.

In most cases, spring training stats do not matter; Cron, however, is an exception to the rule when you consider that he is locked in a position battle with the newly-acquired Luis Valbuena. Both players offer plus power and sub-par defense at first base, so how they perform -- both with the bat and the glove -- will determine who ends up with the lion's share of starts. Even with the less-preferred handedness, Cron will be given a fair shot to win the job after slashing a career-best .278/.325/.467 in 443 plate appearances last year.

Bell (knee) has been cleared to run the bases and will begin playing in simulated games in the coming week, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. "He is in the final stages of his preparation for game activity," trainer Todd Tomczyk said.

Bell underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee one month ago. He's been taking grounders and running in straight lines, but the latest news is even more encouraging. "Actually, it's felt great for a couple weeks now," Bell said. "I guess the soreness from the incision points where they scoped into the knee, the soreness there has gone away. I feel as close to 100 percent as I'm going to feel."

Kirilloff will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery next Wednesday to address a lingering elbow injury, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reports.

Kirilloff, who was drafted 15th overall by the Twins last June, first hurt his elbow in late August while playing in the Appalachian League, and while it was expected that a full offseason of recovery would be all the outfielder needed before returning to the field, the injury proved to be more serious than the organization realized. The 19-year-old won't be able to resume baseball activity for five months, and is expected to endure a nine-month rehab process in total, which could prevent him from playing in winter ball, in addition to the entire minor-league season. While Kirilloff is expected to make a full recovery from the procedure and more or less maintain his skills, he's nonetheless in store for a slower climb through the Twins' minor-league system. He slashed .306/.341/.454 with seven homers and 33 RBI across 232 plate appearances with rookie-level Elizabethton upon signing with the Twins last summer.

Tellez was touted by manager John Gibbons as the team's prospect who is closest to being ready for the majors, Paul Hagen of MLB.com reports.

Gibbons' remarks mirror the consensus among scouts and a majority of prospect rankings. "The guy can hit," Gibbons said of Tellez. "He's not going to steal a lot of bases, but he'll surprise you at times. It's kind of interesting. I was talking to [Tim Raines] the other day and asked him what kind of baserunner Rowdy was. And he said he might be the best in the system. I mean, he's not a fast guy. But that tells you something about him. He's a complete player. He's a talented kid." Even though the 21-year-old first baseman (an unstable position for the Jays) is slated to begin the year in the minors, it wouldn't be irrational for owners in extremely deep leagues to take a risk on draft day and stash Tellez on the bench in hopes of a mid-season call-up. Regardless of where he begins the 2017 campaign, he should be rostered in the vast majority of dynasty formats.

Diaz is scheduled to get work in right field this spring, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Diaz, who made the All-Star Futures Game last summer, packed the stat sheet in 2016 over 121 games combined between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. Manager Terry Francona acknowledged that Diaz appears MLB ready from an offensive standpoint, but the prospect isn't quite there defensively. Transitioning Diaz to the outfield will shorten his track to the majors, making him a viable pick in deeper leagues.

Joseph went 1-for-3 with his first homer of the spring in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Orioles.

Joseph will open the season as Philadelphia's regular first baseman after hitting .257/.308/.505 with 21 home runs in 315 at-bats last year while splitting time with Ryan Howard. With Howard out of the picture, Joseph will see the majority of the starts at first base and could top 30 home runs this season.

Calhoun (abdomen) went 1-for-2 with an RBI single in his spring debut Monday.

The 29-year-old outfielder had previously been held out of game action following core muscle surgery back in October, but he picked up right where he left off at the end of the 2016 campaign with his third inning hit to drive in Andrelton Simmons. Calhoun didn't seem to show any ill effects from the surgery during his first game action, so he should be able to slot back into the Angels lineup moving forward with the hope of building off the career-best .786 OPS he posted last season.

McBride (lat) will partake in a game against Team Italy in minor league camp Tuesday, the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reports.

He had been unable to throw due to a mild lat strain, but it sounds like things are improving to the point that he can play in what essentially amounts to a rehab game.

Freeman went 2-for-3 with three RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.

He's 5-for-7 to begin spring training, and Freeman seems intent on repeating or bettering his career-best numbers from 2016, during which he slugged 34 home runs with a .969 OPS. With an improving lineup around him, the 27-year-old should be able to record his second career 100-RBI season.

Flores got the start at first base during Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, going 1-for-3 with a solo home run.

He could see more action at first base than anticipated early in the season, given Lucas Duda's ongoing back issues, but Flores still figures to serve mainly as a platoon option off the bench this season for the Mets. His power and multiple paths to playing time still make him a viable roster option in deep NL-only formats, however.