MLB Player News
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Kyle Manzardo 1B | CLE
Guardians' Kyle Manzardo: Misses out on Opening Day roster
The Guardians reassigned Manzardo to minor-league camp Monday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Manzardo is one of the Guardians' top prospects and was given the chance to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but despite slashing .381/.458/.476 over his 13 Cactus League appearances, the Cleveland brass determined that he could use some more development time in the minors. After coming over from the Rays last summer in a deadline deal that sent right-hander Aaron Civale to Tampa Bay, the 23-year-old got on base at a .348 clip at Triple-A Columbus and slugged six home runs in 92 plate appearances, showing the blend of power and on-base skills that could make him a mainstay at first base for the big club for years to come. However, against lefties, Manzardo slashed just .161/.269/.330 between his Triple-A stops with Columbus and Durham, so mastering same-handed pitching may be the final box that he needs to check before getting his first taste of the big leagues.
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Rowdy Tellez 1B | TEX
Pirates' Rowdy Tellez: Returns to lineup
Tellez (back) will start at first base and bat sixth for the Pirates in Monday's spring contest versus the Phillies, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Tellez was scratched from the Grapefruit League lineup over the weekend with a minor back issue, but he's fine. The 29-year-old is slated to be the Pirates' primary first baseman against right-handed pitching this season.
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Xavier Isaac 1B | TB
Rays' Xavier Isaac: Two homers in Spring Breakout game
Isaac hit two home runs in Saturday's Spring Breakout game, an 8-8 tie against Minnesota, despite being limited to DH this spring due to a sore ankle, MLB.com reports. His second home run had an exit velocity of 110.4 mph.
It doesn't sound like an injury to be worried about for the regular season. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound lefty slugger has huge raw power, but he didn't sell out for it in his first full pro season, logging a 21 percent strikeout rate at Single-A and at High-A. He hit 19 home runs with a .916 OPS between the two levels. Isaac could be big-league ready in a year or two, and the main question is whether he will be platooned at the highest level since he had a .697 OPS in 94 plate appearances against southpaws.
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Lewin Diaz 1B | WAS
Nationals' Lewin Diaz: Reassigned to minor-league camp
The Nationals reassigned Diaz to minor-league camp Sunday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Diaz signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals in late December. He had a .804 OPS with 17 home runs over 118 games for the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate but saw no time in the majors during the 2023 season.
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Joey Votto 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Joey Votto: Tweaks ankle in spring debut
Votto was removed from Sunday's Grapefruit League game as a precaution after rolling his right ankle in the dugout, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
Votto clubbed a solo homer on the first pitch he saw from Zack Wheeler before the dugout accident prompted an early exit from his spring debut. It doesn't appear to be a serious issue, so the veteran slugger could be back on the field in the next few days.
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Rowdy Tellez 1B | TEX
Pirates' Rowdy Tellez: Nursing back issue
Tellez was scratched from Saturday's Grapefruit League lineup due to a minor back injury, Greg Brown of SportsNet Pittsburgh reports.
The 29-year-old was pulled from the lineup due to an "abundance of caution," so he could return to game action within the next couple days. Assuming Tellez has no additional issues, he should begin the season as the Pirates' primary first baseman.
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Matt Mervis 1B | WAS
Cubs' Matt Mervis: Roster bid falls short
The Cubs optioned Mervis to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday.
Despite posting a strong slash line of .300/.432/.400 in 19 Cactus League games, Mervis fell well shy of making the season-opening 26-man roster, as he was cut with 42 players still remaining in big-league camp. After a rough showing in his first taste of the big leagues in 2023, Mervis will likely need to mash at Iowa and/or wait for an injury to hit the Cubs' first-base/designated-hitter ranks before he gets another extended opportunity in Chicago.
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Jose Abreu 1B | HOU
Astros' Jose Abreu: Back in action Sunday
Abreu (knee) is batting fifth as the designated hitter in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Abreu has been sidelined a bit more than a week due to right knee soreness, but he went through full workouts the past two days and is back in the lineup Sunday. The 37-year-old has plenty of time to ramp back up before Opening Day following the absence.
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Ryan Mountcastle 1B | BAL
Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle: Neck feeling better
Mountcastle (neck) won't be in the lineup for either of Sunday's split-squad games but could return to game action as early as Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
The 26-year-old was scratched from Saturday's starting nine after his backed locked up on him while taking some swings, but he's apparently feeling much better a day later. The Orioles are likely to remain cautious so close to the start of the season, but at this point Mountcastle's availability for Opening Day doesn't appear to be in jeopardy.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Slugs homer Friday
Guerrero went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.
He launched a Mason Englert offering completely out of the stadium to left-center field for a two-run shot in the fifth inning. Guerrero sat out a few days with a knee bruise he picked up making a sliding catch in foul territory last weekend, but it looks like he's fully healthy again. Through nine Grapefruit League games, the 25-year-old slugger is batting .417 (10-for-24) with a double and two homers.