MLB Player News

Fermin is dealing with a quadriceps strain and is expected to miss some extended time, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Big-league manager Oli Marmol said Monday that Fermin is likely out multiple weeks as he nurses his injured quad. The 23-year-old was dealt from the Guardians to the Cardinals in November and had gone 1-for-8 with a double and a run scored this spring prior to getting injured. Overall, Fermin is not expected to be a large part of the team's game plan in 2023 and will likely start the year with Triple-A Memphis , though he could earn a call-up at some point this summer.

Bae is in a competition with Tucupita Marcano and Rodolfo Castro to begin the 2023 season as Pittsburgh's starting second baseman, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Bae is among the Pirates' better prospects, and he made his big-league debut across the last two weeks of the 2022 season. He was impressive in that span by posting a .333/.405/.424 line with three stolen bases across 37 plate appearances, though Castro had a strong second half of the campaign as well. Bae hasn't hit particularly well at the start of spring training, as he has only one hit in nine at-bats while striking out four times.

Vargas (finger) will not take swings in Saturday's exhibition game, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Vargas has already started several games and not taken a swing while in the batter's box, and that will be the case again Saturday. There was hope that he would be cleared to hit in a game at some point this weekend, but manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that he will not do so until Wednesday at the earliest.

Garcia went 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

His first homer of the spring wasn't a cheap one -- Garcia turned on a Max Scherzer fastball up in the zone in the third inning and drove it over the right-field wall. Garcia is coming off a mediocre season in the majors, but he's still only 22 years old and slashed .308/.366/.519 in 45 games for Triple-A Rochester in 2022. He could be poised for a big step forward this year.

Albies (shoulder) will start at second base and bat fifth in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Albies spent the first week or so of camp serving as the designated hitter following a clean-up procedure on his right shoulder in October. He's now ready to test the shoulder in the field and should be in the clear for Opening Day, barring a setback. Between a fractured foot and a broken pinky finger, Albies was limited to just 64 games and three stolen bases last season. He said he plans to do more running with the new rules in place for 2023.

Cubs manager David Ross indicated Thursday that Hoerner will be the primary leadoff man to begin the 2023 season, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Hoerner has already led off four times through less than a week of Cactus League games, and it sounds like that theme is going to carry over into the regular season. The 25-year-old middle infielder enjoyed a mini breakout in 2022, tallying 10 homers and 20 stolen bases across 135 games. He did that with a .327 on-base percentage, which can perhaps improve and elevate his full range of counting stats as Chicago's likely tablesetter.

Rodgers was determined to have suffered significant damage to the capsule in his left shoulder following an MRI on Wednesday and could be facing season-ending surgery, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Rodgers was initially diagnosed with a dislocated left shoulder when he dove hard for a ball in a Cactus League game Tuesday against the Rangers, but follow-up tests have revealed a more serious injury than anticipated. Harding notes that doctors are still reviewing the full scope of the issue, so it may be several days before a determination on surgery is made one way or the other. The 26-year-old had been in line to serve as the Rockies' everyday second baseman in 2023, but his expected absence will force Colorado to alter its plans. Ryan McMahon could move over from third base to man the keystone, or Colorado could roll with Harold Castro or Alan Trejo at the position. Either way, Rodgers appears destined for an extended absence, and his expected absence for a large chunk of the season -- if not all of it -- is a major blow for the Rockies organization.

Albies (shoulder) plans to steal more bases this season with the new pickoff throw limits and larger bases, Jayson Stark of The Athletic reports.

"I'll take 30-30," he said. "But my goal is to go 40-40." Albies also thinks Ronald Acuna and Michael Harris can go 40-40, with Acuna having a chance at 50-50. They're lofty, almost surely unattainable goals, sure, but it's good to hear Albies plans to be aggressive on the basepaths. For what it's worth, Albies' career high in steals is 20 -- set in 2021 -- and during last year's injury-riddled season he went just 3-for-8 on stolen base attempts while seeing his sprint speed drop dramatically.

The Rockies sent Rodgers (shoulder) in for an MRI on Wednesday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

After he exited Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Rangers early, Rodgers was given a preliminary diagnosis of a dislocated left shoulder, but the MRI should offer more clarity on the exact nature of the injury as well as its severity. For the time being, the Rockies seem to be viewing Rodgers as day-to-day, but even if the MRI doesn't reveal anything overly concerning, the 26-year-old may be several days away from rejoining the spring lineup.

Vargas (finger) is hopeful to gain clearance to swing the bat in games by this weekend, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register Register reports.

For the second time in three days, Vargas will start at second base in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Rangers, but he'll be limited to only tracking pitches at the plate when his turn in the batting order comes up. However, Vargas has resumed hitting in the batting cage without any apparent discomfort in his fractured right pinkie finger, so he sounds like he could be fully cleared within a few days.