MLB Player News

Howard went 2-for-4 with his first home run of the spring Thursday against the Rays.

The home run is notable because it came off lefty Matt Moore. Manager Pete Mackanin said Howard will open the year in a platoon with Darin Ruf at first base if he does not show improvement against lefties. Thus far this spring, Howard is 3-for-6 with two doubles, a home run, one strikeout and no walks against lefties. It's a small sample size, but if Howard keeps it up he might be able to open the year with a chance for some additional at-bats. He has hit just .184 with 22 home runs against lefties since the start of the 2012 season.

Rizzo returned to the lineup Thursday and went 0-for-1 with a walk, run, and stolen base.

Rizzo missed a game after being hit by a pitch Tuesday, but the injury was minor. His lofty position on most cheatsheets should be unaffected by this week's events.

Singleton went 2-for-4 with a two-run double and a solo home run Wednesday during the Astros' 7-3 Grapefruit League loss to the Tigers.

"It's nice to see him have a good day," manager A.J. Hinch said of Singleton, who raised his spring batting average from .104 to .152 with the performance. "He's worked pretty hard, and he hasn't had a day like this yet. Obviously he has it in him. To see him have a day like today is a nice fresh start for him for the rest of camp." The 24-year-old arrived in camp as the favorite to win the Astros' starting first base job, but he'll have to beat out A.J. Reed, Tyler White and Matt Duffy for the role.

Mets manager Terry Collins predicted Thursday that Cabrera (knee) will be available for Opening Day, Adam Rubin of ESPN reports.

Cabrera was diagnosed with a strained patella tendon last week, with reports initially suggesting that he'd likely have to start his season on the disabled list. It now seems he has a chance to be ready for Opening Day, though there hasn't been any update regarding when he might return to Grapefruit League action. Once healthy, Cabrera should get most of the playing time at shortstop, but he does have some competition in the form of Wilmer Flores.

Goldschmidt is just 5-for-23 (.217) in Cactus League play, with no home runs and three RBI.

The usual caveat about not putting too much stock into spring numbers applies here. Goldschmidt is a career .295 hitter with a .865 OPS in the regular season's opening month, so he usually gets rolling right away. Expect Goldschmidt to be a top fantasy contributor this year, barring injury.

Santana was sent home Wednesday with an illness, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

It appears the bug that's been going around Indians has reached the first baseman. Despite being sent home, this issue shouldn't linger for very long, and Santana should be back in the lineup fairly soon.

Walker played in left field during Tuesday's Grapefruit league game and went 1-for-3 with a double.

The outfield is new to Walker, who is a first baseman with very little minor league experience at third base. Things went well Tuesday, as Walker picked up an outfield assist by gunning down Troy Tulowitzki at third base. With plenty of depth at the MLB level at first base, Walker might be able to find a new avenue to make the team by converting to the outfield. It was not thought to be likely that Walker would break camp with the Orioles, but Hyun-soo Kim has struggled this spring and the team appears to be opening iself up to other options.

Rizzo left Tuesday's spring training game after being hit by pitch, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

It sounds as though it's more of a precautionary measure, as Rizzo was just grazed by the pitch. He should be able to return to action by the end of the week, if not sooner, but the club will likely offer up more details if it's longer than that.

Singleton went 1-for-4 with a stolen base as the DH during Monday's 1-1 Grapefruit League tie against Washington.

The 24-year-old did not strike out during the game, but he's fanned 11 times over 27 Grapefruit League at-bats with only one walk to his credit. Singleton's inability to make consistent contact will hurt his chances of winning the Astros' starting first base job, as his main competition -- A.J. Reed (.318), Tyler White (.370) and Matt Duffy (three home runs) -- are off to blistering starts this spring.

Walker went 2-for-3 with a home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.

Walker did not stand out last season at Triple-A, but he has been one of the better bats for the Orioles this spring. He is the only member of the club with multiple home runs. Walker is still ticketed for Triple-A and he might need multiple injuries in order to see playing time in Baltimore this season.