MLB Player News

Candelario started at designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Monday's spring game against San Diego.

Candelario belted his first spring home run in the first inning. He missed some time after having a tooth pulled and returned to the field Sunday. Reds manager Terry Francona gave him seven at-bats over the two games since his return, as Candelario missed plate appearances while being sidelined the last week. He's played first base (three times), third base (twice) and DH (twice) during Cactus League games, and Candelario's primary home this season is not yet settled. Spencer Steer's shoulder injury, projected to land him on the injured list to open the season, allows for Candelario, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Gavin Lux to be in the lineup. Those decisions will get trickier once Steer is ready to go.

Hayes is dealing with left side tightness, which is why he hasn't played in a game since Wednesday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Hayes is expected to take part in fielding work and swing a bat Tuesday, per manager Derek Shelton, and if that goes well, he'll presumably ramp back up to game action soon. It doesn't appear as though this injury would put the third baseman in jeopardy of missing Opening Day, but his progress will be worth monitoring closely over the next few days to ensure he's able to put the issue behind him.

Vientos went 1-for-2 with a walk and a two-run home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

After Francisco Lindor reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the first inning for the Mets, Vientos crushed a Jake Irvin pitch over the fence in left-center field. It was the third baseman's first long ball of the spring, and Vientos has had a solid camp so far, batting .273 (6-for-22) with a 1:3 BB:K in eight appearances. After a breakout 2024, New York is counting on the 25-year-old to handle a spot in the heart of the batting order this season.

The Padres reassigned Brosseau to minor-league camp Monday.

Brosseau is expected to serve as organizational infield depth at Triple-A El Paso during the 2025 season. The 30-year-old previously saw big-league action in five straight seasons with the Rays and Brewers from 2019 through 2023, but he spent the entire 2024 campaign at the Triple-A level. Between stops with the Royals' and Mets' top affiliates, Brosseau slashed .263/.356/.417 with 15 home runs in 102 games.

The Reds optioned Marte to Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

After serving an 80-game suspension to begin the past season, Marte was unable to find a rhythm at the plate once he was cleared to rejoin the Reds in late June. He finished the season with a lowly .549 OPS over 242 plate appearances with the big club, and Marte's struggles have continued this spring, with the 23-year-old slashing .150/.182/.400 with eight strikeouts over 11 games. The Reds are hoping that the assignment to Louisville to begin the season will allow Marte to regain confidence and rediscover the plate approach that helped him make a splash as a rookie in 2023, when he hit .316 and got on base at a .366 clip over his 123 plate appearances with the big club. Until Marte proves he's worthy of another look in the majors, the Reds are likely to get by with Gavin Lux and Jeimer Candelario as their primary options at third base.

McMahon has gone 7-for-19 with seven walks across nine Cactus League games.

McMahon has maintained at least a 10 percent walk rate in three straight regular seasons, so his elevated walk rate in the spring isn't much of a surprise. While he has only two extra-base hits in the exhibition season, he has maintained at least a .165 ISO in five of his last six campaigns.

Reds manager Terry Francona announced that Collier is scheduled to have surgery Thursday on his injured left thumb, Pat Brennan of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Collier is expected to resume hitting in 4-to-6 weeks.

The top prospect was reassigned to minor-league camp Wednesday. Collier is coming off a 2024 season in which he slashed .248/.355/.443 with 20 home runs over 507 plate appearances at High-A Dayton. The thumb surgery shouldn't dramatically affect Collier's long-term outlook, but it could inhibit his power production once he's able to make his 2025 debut in late April or early May.

Candelario (tooth) will serve as the Reds' designated hitter and bat cleanup in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Angels.

Candelario is back in the lineup for the first time in a week after having a wisdom tooth extracted. The 31-year-old should be ready to handle a near-everyday role once the season begins, with Candelario likely to move around between DH and the corner-infield spots.

Bohm went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Toronto.

Bohm took Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis deep in the third inning, homering for the third time in just 21 at-bats this spring so far. The 28-year-old corner infielder has driven in 97 runs while batting at least .274 in each of the past two seasons, making him a relatively safe option in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts as part of Philadelphia's potent lineup.

The Marlins optioned De Los Santos to Triple-A Jacksonville on Saturday, Isaac Azout of FishOnFirst.com reports.

De Los Santos slashed .263/.308/.520 with 26 home runs and 83 RBI across 422 total plate appearances in Triple-A last year. That level of offensive production wasn't on display this spring, as he'll finish Grapefruit League play 2-for-11 across six games while striking out six times -- something that's long been a problem for the 21-year-old. If De Los Santos is able to get back on track quickly, he could get an opportunity in the majors as Miami's DH or at first base.