MLB Player News

Schanuel was scratched from the Angels' Cactus League lineup Monday against the Brewers because of back tightness, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Schanuel had been slated to play first base against the Brewers but will be replaced by Miguel Sano. Consider the 22-year-old day-to-day for the time being.

Horwitz is batting .138 (4-for-29) with his only extra-base hit being a double through 12 Grapefruit League games.

The 26-year-old came into camp with a chance to win a spot on the Toronto bench as a left-handed complement to Vladimir Guerrero at first base and Justin Turner at DH, but Horwitz has done little to secure the gig. The organization's subsequent moves to bring in Daniel Vogelbach and Joey Votto suggest Horwitz is headed for some minor-league seasoning. He slashed .337/.450/.495 over 107 games for Triple-A Buffalo last year, and his 6:7 BB:K this spring reflects his strong plate discipline, but he'll need to make more consistent hard contact to have much of a big-league future.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.