MLB Player News

Encarnacion-Strand (back) was a full participant Thursday at Reds camp, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Encarnacion-Strand came into spring training with a bit of back discomfort, but it doesn't seem to be an issue at this point. He was moving well at third base Thursday at the Reds' complex and also took part in live batting practice. The 23-year-old could feasibly push to make his MLB debut in the second half of the 2023 season after delivering a stellar .304/.368/.587 slash line with 32 home runs and 114 RBI in 122 games last summer between the High-A and Double-A levels.

Harper (elbow) progressed to taking dry swings Thursday as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Harper's rehab is going "great" and expects the slugger to join the team in camp by March 8 or 9. He's obviously got a long way to go and many hoops to jump through in his recovery, but the hope is that Harper can return as a designated hitter before the All-Star break and as an outfielder at some point in the second half.

Canha revealed Wednesday that he had trouble maintaining his weight last season because of gastritis, Pat Ragazzo of SI.com reports.

Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining, a condition which made it "hard for me to get calories and be comfortable, so a lot of times I wouldn't eat very much because I was afraid of getting a stomachache," Canha said. The good news is the gastritis has subsided, allowing Canha to put some muscle back on during offseason workouts. The outfielder is hoping that the added bulk will lead to more power, with Canha having a goal of hitting 10 more home runs than the 13 he clubbed in 2022.

The Pirates announced Wednesday that Choi will be on a modified program for spring training while he ramps up from the surgery he underwent in November to remove a bone fragment from his right elbow, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Though Choi has experienced no unexpected setbacks in his recovery from the elbow procedure, the Pirates seem content to slowly integrate him into drills to ensure he's in optimal health by the time Opening Day arrives. Because of his elbow surgery, however, the Korea Baseball Organization chose to remove Choi from its 30-man roster for the World Baseball Classic earlier this month, despite the 31-year-old expressing confidence that he was healthy enough to play. Choi should still be able to get in plenty of at-bats during the Pirates' Grapefruit League schedule, though he may not be ready to make his spring debut during the first week of games.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed over the weekend that Martinez will serve as the team's everyday DH in 2023, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

"I don't expect J.D. to DH 162 [games]," Roberts said. "But he's gonna be the guy who is gonna be in that position 99.9 percent of the time." Martinez inked a one-year, $10 million free-agent contract with the Dodgers back in December and has a chance to flourish with a solidified spot in the heart of such a deep and dangerous lineup. He posted a .790 OPS with 16 home runs and 62 RBI in 139 games last season with the Red Sox.

Mets manager Buck Showalter said Tuesday that Ruf (wrist) will be limited over the next 2-3 days, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Ruf has been fighting through some right wrist soreness in Mets camp and received an injection to hopefully aid the healing process. The expectation is that he will be able to resume hitting before the end of the week. It wouldn't seem that his readiness for Opening Day is at all in question at the moment.

Morel may be ticketed for a utility role off the bench in 2023 with the Cubs adding several new players in the offseason, Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic report.

With Eric Hosmer and Dansby Swanson added in the infield, and Cody Bellinger added in the outfield, Morel has no clear path to regular playing time in Chicago. He may have to settle for a reserve role with some occasional starts at DH, or get sent to Triple-A Iowa, where the promising 23-year-old would be able to get additional seasoning.

Encarnacion-Strand's back injury is not considered serious, Mark Sheldon of MLB Network reports.

"It was a little bit of a scare at first," Reds manager David Bell said Friday. "Now I think [Encarnacion-Strand] is going to be fine in a matter of a few days... He had an exam done. It was something he had in the past that's not an issue. A small aggravation. He should be back next week." Encarnacion-Strand is considered one of the better power-hitting prospects in the Cincinnati system after coming over to the Reds in the Tyler Mahle trade, and assuming good health, the 23-year-old could help the club before the end of 2023.

Choi (elbow) lost his arbitration hearing against the Pirates and will make $4.65 million in 2023, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Choi had filed at $5.4 million, but the arbiter has ruled in favor of the team. Acquired from the Rays in November, Choi posted a .729 OPS with 11 home runs over 113 games last season. He had minor elbow surgery shortly after the trade but is expected to be fine for Opening Day. Choi is slated to see the lion's share of playing time at first base for the Pirates this season.

Pederson will get some time at first base during spring training, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Pederson is projected to fill at least a strong-side platoon role in the outfield, but picking up time at first base could help him get into the lineup more. For now, the lefty-hitting LaMonte Wade and righties Wilmer Flores and J.D. Davis figure to get the bulk of the playing time at first. Pederson slashed .274/.353/.521 with 23 home runs and 70 RBI in 134 contests last season.