MLB Player News

Lewis went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's spring game against the Athletics.

Lewis made his second spring appearance at designated hitter after missing time while building up strength in his legs.

Winker (neck, knee) is making his Cactus League debut Tuesday.

Winker will DH and bat second in what is also his unofficial Brewers debut. He had a rough go of it in Seattle last season, due in part to neck and knee injuries, but there is bounce-back potential ahead for the 2021 NL All-Star.

Ozuna has gotten more plate appearances than any Atlanta player who isn't either participating in the WBC or competing for a job through the early part of the Grapefruit League schedule, and he's been used exclusively at designated hitter, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The 32-year-old worked to improve his shoulder strength in the offseason in an effort to not be such a liability in the field, but Atlanta would be content simply to get some value out of his bat at this point. Ozuna has two years and $32 million remaining on his contract with a $16 million club option for 2025, but over the last two seasons he's played only 172 games due to injuries and off-field issues, posting decent power numbers with 30 homers and 82 RBI but slashing a weak .222/.278/.397.

McCutchen (hand) will serve as the Pirates' designated hitter and No. 3 batter in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

McCutchen exited early in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Twins due to hand soreness, but as anticipated, his removal from that contest proved to be merely a precaution. At least at the start of the season, the 36-year-old should handle a near-everyday role as he opens his second stint in Pittsburgh, with McCutchen expected to move between the corner outfield and designated hitter.

McCutchen's (hand) removal from the Pirates' game on Sunday was precautionary and he's expected to be fine, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

McCutchen was lifted from the game against the Twins after being hit by a pitch, but it sounds like he probably could've remained in had it been a regular-season contest. The veteran outfield is expected to open 2023 as the Pirates' starting right fielder.

Lewis started at designated hitter and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Sunday's spring game against Cleveland.

Lewis made his spring debut after dealing with leg issues early in camp. It sounds like the Diamondbacks gave the 27-year-old outfielder, who is coming off a variety of knee injuries the last two seasons, extra preparation more than it was Lewis experiencing anything serious. He could remain a DH-only deployment in the short term before the 2020 AL Rookie of the Year gets a look in the field. Lewis gives the Diamondbacks a right-handed bench bat amid a lefty-dominant lineup.

Encarnacion-Strand has been one of the early stars in Reds camp this spring, highlighted by a long homer Saturday against A's starter Drew Rucinski, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. He's had seven hits in 11 at-bats so far, with two homers and a double among those hits.

Encarnacion-Strand has been spending most of his time in spring training games at first base, and that appears to be his ultimate destination, as the Reds are deep in prospects on the left side of the infield. He had a brilliant season at the plate last year between Double-A and High-A, hitting .304/.368/.587. While there's some question whether his hit tool will translate at higher levels, he's made quite an impression so far this spring.

Vientos went 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

Getting the start at third base and hitting second in the order, Vientos launched a two-run shot off minor-league reliever Justin Evans in the fourth inning before taking potential Miami closer Dylan Floro deep in the fifth for a three-run blast, with both homers being no-doubters to straightaway center field. Vientos doesn't appear to have much of a chance at winning the starting job at the hot corner for Opening Day with both Eduardo Escobar and Brett Baty ahead of him in the pecking order, but he's doing what he can to win a spot on the big-league bench. The 23-year-old prospect has gone 7-for-21 to begin his spring, with four of the hits (two doubles plus Saturday's home runs) going for extra bases.

Lewis (leg) will make his spring training debut Sunday against Cleveland, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

The 27-year-old will serve as the D-backs' designated hitter for his first few appearances before eventually working his way back into the outfield mix. Lewis slashed just .143/.226/.304 over 64 major-league plate appearances last season while battling injuries for most of the year, and his 2020 AL Rookie of the Year campaign is getting further in the rearview mirror.

Soler hit second in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, going 2-for-3 with his first home run of the spring, and Marlins manager Skip Schumaker indicated he likes having a hitter with some power in that spot in the batting order, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports.

The 31-year-old mostly hit third last year for ex-manager Don Mattingly when he was healthy, but Soler could move even higher on Schumaker's lineup card. His 10.9 percent walk rate over the last two seasons is certainly acceptable for the top of the order, but Soler will likely need to improve his .218 batting average to fully take advantage of the assignment. Hitting second would add a bit more fantasy intrigue to a player who's only suited up for 221 games since 2021, but slugged 40 homers in them.