MLB Player News
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Yuli Gurriel DH | SD
Marlins' Yuli Gurriel: Agrees to terms with Marlins
Gurriel signed a contract with Miami on Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Rumors of a potential deal between the Marlins and Gurriel had been swirling around all offseason. Gurriel had been holding out for a major-league contract, and while the details of the deal are not yet known, the two sides were finally able to iron out an agreement. The veteran first baseman will turn 39 in June and slashed .242/.288/.360 during the regular season last year before spraining his right MCL in Game 5 of the World Series.
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Michael Toglia 1B | COL
Rockies' Michael Toglia: In better position for MLB roster
Toglia is better positioned for a spot on the Rockies' Opening Day roster with Sean Bouchard (biceps) out indefinitely, Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette reports.
Toglia was a mess offensively in his first taste of MLB action last season, striking out 44 times in 120 at-bats, but he worked diligently this winter on his timing to the baseball and barrel accuracy. Prior to his callup to the Rockies last August, the 24-year-old registered an .852 OPS with 30 home runs in 114 games between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque. He can play first base and the corner outfield while also functioning as an option at DH. That's a similar profile to Bouchard, who suffered a ruptured biceps muscle Wednesday.
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Ryan Mountcastle 1B | BAL
Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle: Hits grand slam Wednesday
Mountcastle went 2-for-3 with a grand slam and an additional run scored in Wednesday's Grapefruit League win over the Pirates.
Mountcastle's fifth-inning blast made the difference for the Orioles in this contest. The 26-year-old is all but guaranteed to be the starter at first base this season, so spring games are more to get him back into the playing rhythm after the offseason. He's gone 5-for-15 (all extra-base hits) with seven RBI across six Grapefruit League games.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Should face live pitching Saturday
Guerrero (knee) is likely to face live pitching Saturday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Guerrero hit in the batting cage and fielded grounders Thursday for the second day in a row as he works his way back from right knee inflammation. He'll need to test out the knee with some lateral movements and running on the bases, but if all continues to go well it's possible the slugger will be ready to return to Grapefruit League play sometime next week.
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Yandy Diaz DH | TB
Rays' Yandy Diaz: Will return to lineup Friday
Diaz (hip) will be back in the Rays' lineup for Friday's Grapefruit League contest against the Braves, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Diaz has missed about a week of action with a hip flexor injury, but he'll be back at first base -- where he's expected to see most of his action during the regular season -- on Friday. The Rays' projected leadoff hitter inked a three-year, $24 million contract extension with the club back in late January.
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Luke Raley RF | SEA
Rays' Luke Raley: Reworked swing
Raley reworked his swing during the offseason by bringing his hands closer to his body and lessening his leg kick, Brian Murphy of MLB.com reports.
The 2022 season was Raley's first with the Rays, and he earned 72 plate appearances in the majors. Heading into 2023, he's out of minor-league options, so will be looking to earn a role with the big-league club out of spring training. He's helped his case by hitting well early in Grapefruit League action, tallying five hits across 15 at-bats -- including three home runs -- while striking out only twice.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Hits in cage Wednesday
Guerrero (knee) hit in the batting cage, fielded grounders and did some straight-line running at Blue Jays camp Wednesday, Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun reports.
Guerrero continues to make progress in his recovery from right knee inflammation, though he's still not doing much lateral movement, as all the groundballs during the fielding workout were hit directly at him. While Longley notes that the slugger has no timetable for a return, it's possible that Guerrero could return to Grapefruit League action at some point next week. The next steps will include incorporating more side-to-side movement in the field and on the bases, running with more intensity and then facing live pitching, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca. As long as Guerrero avoids any further setbacks in the coming days, he'll likely be ready to go for Opening Day while occupying a spot in the middle of the Toronto lineup.
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Spencer Torkelson 1B | DET
Tigers' Spencer Torkelson: Struggling this spring
Torkelson has just three hits in 18 Grapefruit League at-bats so far with six strikeouts.
Torkelson is off to a slow start, which is discouraging after he struggled to a .203/.285/.319 slash line across 360 at-bats as a rookie in 2022. The team has suggested the 23-year-old will serve as the everyday first baseman this season, and as a one-time No. 1 overall pick, he should be given plenty of opportunities to succeed. Fantasy managers should stay patient, as Torkelson has the talent and pedigree to get rolling at any point, though there could still be some rough patches along the way.
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Andrew Vaughn 1B | MIL
White Sox's Andrew Vaughn: Hitting well in spring
Vaughn has gone for 7-for-19 with one home run, four RBI and two runs scored through seven games in Cactus League action.
Vaughn has earned at-bats in the exhibition season at both first base and designated hitter, though he's projected to serve primarily in the former role once the regular season kicks off. He'll be tasked with filling in for Jose Abreu, who departed for the Houston Astros this offseason. Vaughn took a step forward in 2022, maintaining a .271/.321/.429 line across 555 plate appearances. He'll be asked to be a key contributor once again in 2023, with the hopes that he can another step forward in production.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Hits off tee Tuesday
Guerrero (knee) hit off a tee Tuesday and continues "to feel better," Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
A report earlier Tuesday suggested that Guerrero could get in some cage work by this weekend, but evidently he didn't need that much time. There's no timetable for when he might be cleared to run the bases and return to game action, but the slugger is trending in the right direction. He should be fine for Opening Day, barring any setbacks.