MLB Player News

Tampa Bay plans to use Ramirez as the team's right-handed DH and occasional outfielder against lefty pitchers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Ramirez hit .268 with seven home runs last season, but he fared better against left-handed batters. He hit .288 with a .774 OPS against lefties, compared to .258 with a .665 OPS against righties. Ramirez was 37th in the majors last year with an average exit velocity of 91.3 mph but lacked plate discipline (3.9 BB%, 45.2 O-swing%). Tampa Bay must be banking that he can make better contact this season in a platoon role.

Ohtani will serve as the Angels' leadoff hitter to begin the regular season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani has hit from the leadoff spot for the majority of spring training, and he's delivered a .455 on-base percentage across 11 plate appearances. He spent the majority of the 2021 season hitting either second or third, so his shift up the order will not be drastic. However, it will give him the opportunity to maximize volume, of particular importance if he receives days off when he takes the mound.

Alvarez was scratched from Sunday's Grapefruit League lineup due to a personal matter, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Alvarez was penciled in to start in left field but will instead step away from the team, and it's unclear when he'll retake the field. Kyle Tucker will shift to left field in his place while Lewis Brinson enters the lineup in right.

Torrens, who went 2-for-3 with a run in a Cactus League tie against the Brewers on Saturday, is hitting .500 (6-for-12) with a double, an RBI and two runs over his first five exhibitions.

Torrens signed a one-year deal to avoid arbitration on Wednesday and seems to be building plenty of momentum ahead of the fast-approaching start to the regular season. The 25-year-old made good use of his most extensive playing time in the majors yet last season, slugging 15 home runs and 33 extra-base hits overall across 378 plate appearances. With Tom Murphy and Cal Raleigh potentially set to absorb the majority of the catching opportunities, Torrens could log plenty of time at designated hitter to open the season.

Winker took grounders at first base during Saturday's practice, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

A single spring drill is by no means an indication that Winker will spend a considerable amount of time at first base this season, though it would certainly benefit the Mariners if he proves capable at the position. He's not a good defender in the the outfield, an area that's full already in Seattle and will become overcrowded once Julio Rodriguez debuts and once Kyle Lewis (knee) gets healthy. At first base, Ty France is the only viable option due to Evan White's (groin) injuries and underperformance. France could shift to second or third base at times to accommodate Winker at first.

Ohtani will make his next Cactus League start Thursday against Milwaukee, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani was scratched from his scheduled start as a pitcher Saturday, but manager Joe Maddon reiterated that the move wasn't due to an injury or fatigue. Ohtani is expected to be built up to around 90 pitches by Opening Day, and he simply preferred to start Thursday as he continues his spring progression.

Ohtani will make his next start in the Cactus League on Thursday against the Brewers, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani was originally in line to pitch Saturday, though the decision for him to not take the mound is not injury or fatigue related. Manager Joe Maddon also noted that he expects Ohtani to be stretched out to 90 pitches for Opening Day, so he should be in line for a fairly typical workload.

Ohtani will no longer serve as the starting pitcher in Saturday's Cactus League game against the White Sox, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani's scratch from his scheduled start wasn't due to an injury, and he's still slated to serve as the designated hitter Saturday. It's not yet clear when the right-hander will make his next spring start on the mound, but he was officially named the team's Opening Day starter Friday.

Miller started at third base, batted leadoff and went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a second RBI in Friday's spring training game against the Royals.

Miller is in the mix at third base as well as left field for the Rangers. The utility player is 5-for-11 with a pair of home runs, five RBI and three runs scored over three games. If he doesn't settle in at left field -- both Nick Solak and Eli White have impressed this spring -- the lefty-hitting Miller could overtake the right-handed hitting Andy Ibanez as the starting third baseman or at the very least be the strong side of a platoon.

Ramirez was traded from the Cubs to the Rays on Friday in exchange for Esteban Quiroz.

Ramirez arrived at spring training Friday after dealing with visa issues, but he'll now join Tampa Bay's camp. With just under two weeks remaining until Opening Day, it appears unlikely that the 27-year-old will begin the regular season in the majors.