MLB Player News

Miller (toe) will receive at-bats as a designated hitter during a simulated game Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The simulated game marks Miller's first competitive action since Feb. 23 and likely represents the final hurdle he'll need to clear before returning to the Rays' Grapefruit League lineup. Miller, who is nursing a broken right pinkie toe, still looks primed to open the campaign as the Rays' main second baseman, though there's a good chance he cedes at-bats to Daniel Robertson or Christian Arroyo against lefty pitching.

Jimenez (knee) said he hopes to be back on the field next week, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Jimenez is dealing with tendinitis in his left knee, but the 21-year-old said he's feeling better and remains unconcerned about the issue. "I don't think it's something serious," Jimenez said. "My concern is I want to be playing now." The White Sox will likely continue to play it safe with the highly regarded prospect, but barring any setbacks, it sounds like he should be back in Cactus League action sooner rather than later.

Vogelbach, who went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer and a walk in Friday's 4-2 Cactus League win over the Brewers, is 4-for-9 with a double, Friday's homer, three RBI, three walks and four runs across four spring training games.

The burly infielder is knocking the cover off the ball and has apparently recovered fully from a bruised foot caused by a foul ball Feb. 23. Vogelbach opened the 2017 season in a platoon at first with veteran Danny Valencia, but a rough go against major-league pitching earned him a trip down to Triple-A Tacoma. He then proceeded to put together a strong season with the Rainiers -- slashing .290/.388/.455 with 25 doubles, 17 home runs and 83 RBI -- before finding his way back up to the big-league club as part of September call-ups. He'll look to parlay another year of seasoning into an Opening Day roster spot in 2018, and his strong start to spring certainly has him trending in the right direction.

Ohtani struck out eight of the 12 batters he faced in a "B" game Friday against the Brewers, the Orange County Register reports.

The velocity on Ohtani's fastball sat between 92-96 mph on Friday, while he mixed an impressive array of secondary offerings including a curveball, slider and splitter. He threw a total of 52 pitches in his second spring start, and while Ohtani allowed four hits, only one -- a double from 2017 Brewers first-round pick Keston Hiura -- was well hit. If the Angels continue to start Ohtani on the schedule if a six-man rotation, he'll likely appear in his next game situation Thursday.

Jimenez is being treated for tendinitis in his left knee and will be sidelined for a few days, Richard Justice of MLB.com reports.

Manager Rick Renteria is still hopeful that Jimenez will get into MLB games this spring, but the corner outfielder will be denied an opportunity to really steal headlines in March in the manner he would have been capable of prior to this injury. Considering Jimenez would not have been up in the big leagues until this summer at the earliest, and possibly not until 2019, the injury has little impact on his fantasy value.

Brantley (ankle) will begin defensive drills Friday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic Cleveland reports.

Brantley is working his way back from October ankle surgery. He has taken part in hitting, throwing and running drills this spring but hasn't yet done defensive work, which will be a greater test of his lateral mobility. The 30-year-old outfielder is questionable for Opening Day, but if reports are positive following his defensive work he has a decent chance to be ready to go by the start of the season.

Miller (toe) won't return to game action until Tuesday at the earliest, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

He has a broken right pinky toe, but could return next week. Miller is the favorite to open the year as the Rays' starting second baseman, but it's possible that three natural second basemen will make the Rays' bench (Ryan Schimpf, Joey Wendle, Daniel Robertson). Things will get even more muddled when the team is ready to promote top shortstop prospect Willy Adames and infielder Christian Arroyo. Miller hit 30 homers in 2016, but given the competition he'll face, a return to the 601 plate appearances he saw during his career year seems highly unlikely.

Reed went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Wednesday's game against Minnesota.

Reed got the start at first base on the day it was announced Yulieski Gurriel underwent surgery on his left hand. Reed is one of several players in competition to fill in for Gurriel, who is expected to be out until at least mid-to-late April. Being that it's a hand injury and understanding his swing could be impacted, that timeline could push into May. Reed has the body and the bat to be a first baseman, but his MLB track record is wanting. In the coming weeks, expect to see Tyler White and J.D. Davis get time at first, although when Houston breaks camp, there's a good chance Marwin Gonzalez will be the primary starter at first.

Reed could see regular playing time at first base to start the season following the news of Yulieski Gurriel's hand surgery, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic Houston reports.

Reed mashed 34 homers at Triple-A Fresno last season, but he only appeared in the majors for two games, going 0-for-6 in those contests. This could've been big news for him given the potency of the rest of Houston's lineup, but expectations should be tempered. Gurriel is only expected to miss the first couple weeks of the season, so Reed probably wouldn't even get that much extra playing time. Additionally, J.D. Davis and Tyler White are also competing for the spot, making it even tougher for Reed to make an impact.

Jimenez (knee) is expected to compete in a full capacity Thursday after spending Wednesday doing hitting drills, Daryl Van Schouwen of The Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Jimenez has been dealing with a little left knee soreness that cropped up earlier this week, but he's been able to complete field work and continue hitting over the past couple days. It doesn't appear as though the club is too concerned with this ailment and it's expected that he will be able to play in Cactus League games in the near future.