MLB Player News

Loftin was scratched from the lineup for Sunday's Cactus League game against the Padres due to right wrist soreness.

Loftin was penciled to bat fifth as the designated hitter but will instead sit out at least one game due to the wrist injury. The 26-year-old is competing for a utility role in spring training after he posted a .518 OPS in 57 regular-season games last year.

Bell went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Bell took Miles Mikolas deep in the first inning for his first long ball of the spring. The 32-year-old slugger is expected to be the regular DH for the Nationals this season while backing up Nathaniel Lowe at first base, and Bell posted the best numbers of his career during his first stint with Washington in 2021-22, slashing .278/.363/.483 over 247 games with 41 homers and 145 RBI.

Hoskins went 3-for-3 with two home runs and two RBI in Saturday's spring game.

Hoskins homered in his first appearance of the spring and put two more long balls on the board Saturday. He remains the top option at first base for the Brewers and will be looking to bounce back in both the batting average and OPS departments after posting career-low .214 and .722 marks, respectively, in those categories in 2024.

Freeman (ankle) will start at first base and bat third in Sunday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Freeman's previous two spring training starts had come as a designated hitter, but he'll return to his familiar post at first base now that he's resumed full defensive work following offseason surgery to remove loose bodies from his right ankle. The 35-year-old is on track to man first base in both of the Dodgers' games in the season-opening series versus the Cubs in Tokyo on March 18 and 19. Manager Dave Roberts said earlier in the spring that he plans to deploy Freeman as the Dodgers' full-time No. 3 hitter in 2025, which should lead to plenty of RBI opportunities while he slots behind Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts.

Encarnacion-Strand went 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday's spring game against the Padres.

Encarnacion-Strand led off the second inning with a solo home run, his second blast of the Cactus League. He's looking to put an injury-marred 2024 in the past; the 25-year-old corner infielder was limited to just 29 games by a wrist injury last season. While the Reds are using Encarnacion-Strand and others at both corner infield spots, he appears to be the team's expected starter at first base.

Isaac (elbow) will start at designated hitter and bat seventh in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

He'll see his first spring game action since Feb. 21, after a sore left elbow had limited him in recent workouts. Though the elbow issue no longer seems to be affecting Isaac at the dish, it's unclear when he'll be able to complete his throwing program and resume playing first base and in the outfield. In any case, Isaac doesn't look like he'll require a season-opening stint on Double-A Montgomery's injured list since he'll be able to serve as a DH until he's fully healthy.

Pratto is working in the outfield this spring in an effort to win a utility role, MLB.com reports. He's competing with Dairon Blanco, Joey Wiemer and Drew Waters for a bench spot.

Pratto hit just .240 with 16 home runs and a .728 OPS at Triple-A last season but still has significant power, as he hit 36 homers in the minors in 2021. He's likely a long shot to win a roster spot, though he is out of options. He's hitting just 1-for-10 in his first five spring games.

Manager Terry Francona said Saturday that Steer (shoulder) could begin the season on the injured list, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Steer was scratched from the lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Padres due to his injured shoulder, and he elected to receive a cortisone shot after an examination, per Wittenmyer. This will force the 27-year-old to pause all activities for the next few days, and there's no telling at this point how long it will be before he's cleared to play in games.

Lamb will be shut down until at least Tuesday after being diagnosed with a left quad strain, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Lamb will be re-evaluated Tuesday for a potential return to baseball activities. The veteran infielder is in camp as a non-roster invitee and is likely to begin the season at Triple-A Sacramento.

Steer (shoulder) still feels discomfort and had a scheduled throwing program put on hold this week, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. He had been set to begin throwing Monday. "He's just not quite where we want him to be," manager Terry Francona said Thursday. "We'll get him examined one more time and figure out what path we're going."

Steer is still able to DH -- he went 1-for-2 in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks -- because it doesn't hurt him to swing a bat. Multiple MRIs have confirmed no structural damage, but as Steer indicated, "shoulders are tricky." He's scheduled to be examined this weekend by the team's orthopedist before any decisions are made or timelines established.