MLB Player News

Blackmon went 0-for-1 with a run and one walk in Monday's spring loss to the Dodgers.

Blackmon led off the bottom of the second inning Monday with a walk before he was brought in by a Sam Hilliard double to score the first run of the game. The 34-year-old has gone just 2-for-18 with two runs, two walks and three strikeouts over eight spring games this year, but he'll serve as the Rockies' primary right fielder in 2021.

The Diamondbacks reassigned Beer to their minor-league camp Tuesday.

MLB's decision not to implement a universal designated hitter for the 2021 season likely ended any chance Beer had of cracking the Diamondbacks' Opening Day roster, since the 24-year-old doesn't profile as an ideal bench option due to his lack of defensive versatility. Beer is still one of the top hitters in Arizona's farm system, though his initial results upon coming over from Houston in a July 2019 trade weren't all that encouraging. Over his 24 games with Double-A Jacksonville in 2019, Beer slashed .205/.297/.318 (83 wRC+) across 101 plate appearances.

Miller's oblique injury is a relatively mild strain which won't necessarily rule him out for Opening Day, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Miller suffered the injury Saturday. He'll be reevaluated later in the week, at which point his timeline should become more clear. He's expected to be one of the Phillies' top bench players this season. If he's forced to miss the start of the campaign, that could be good news for one of the team's lesser utility options such as C.J. Chatham, Ronald Torreyes or Nick Maton.

Belt (heel) is playing first base in a simulated game Sunday, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

It's been slow going in camp for the 32-year-old after dealing with COVID-19 in January and mononucleosis in February, but he appears to be nearing his Cactus League debut for the Giants. Belt still has a couple weeks to prepare for Opening Day, but his conditioning may not be up to par after recovering from a pair of long-term ailments. He had a .309/.425/.591 slash line with nine home runs, 13 doubles, 30 RBI and 30 walks in 51 games during 2020.

Miller could require an MRI after he was unable to play in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers due to a right oblique injury, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Miller said Sunday that the injury was something that had been bothering him throughout the spring, but it wasn't until Saturday that the pain was significant enough for him to ask out of the lineup. The Phillies plan to give him a few days of rest with the hope that's enough to resolve the issue, but if not, Miller will likely be sent in for further diagnostic tests. The 31-year-old is competing for a role this spring as a left-handed bat off the Philadelphia bench.

Vogelbach went 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI in Saturday's spring game against the Rangers.

Vogelbach got off to a slow start this spring, but he has picked up the pace lately, going 4-for-12 (.333) over his past five games. Hoping he would be able to see regular at-bats as the designated hitter, the Brewers re-signed Vogelbach over the offseason. With the NL not adopting the DH, though, he will be able to work in that role only in AL parks and is on track to serve as the backup first baseman behind Keston Hiura.

Dickerson is 2-for-12 with two runs, three walks and one stolen base through six spring games.

The 30-year-old is still seeing the ball well as the three walks suggest, but he otherwise hasn't found much success early in camp. Dickerson posted an impressive .298/.371/.576 slash line with 10 homers, 10 doubles and 27 RBI in 52 games last season, though he had only 12 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. He could open 2021 working on the strong side of a platoon in left field, which would still afford him plenty of opportunities.

McCutchen went 2-for-3 with a walk, two doubles and two runs scored in Saturday's game against the Tigers.

The strong showing means the veteran outfielder has now gone 6-for-18 with three extra-base hits through seven Grapefruit League games. Entering the season healthy is what's most important for the former MVP, who posted a career-low 103 wRC+ last season in his first year back from a torn ACL. Any boost he gets from a healthy offseason could be offset by the effects of aging for the 34-year-old, though he should still be a respectable cross-category contributor this season unless age hits particularly hard.

Miller suffered a ribcage injury Saturday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

It's not yet clear how much time Miller is expected to miss, but the Phillies should have a better idea soon as he's been sent for tests. Miller signed a major-league deal in February and should fill an important role off the bench if healthy, but even a minor setback at this stage of spring could send him to the injured list to start the year.

Belt (heel) battled COVID-19 in January and mononucleosis in February, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Belt at least feels good in his recovery from October heel surgery, but it's been a brutal winter for the veteran first baseman. He hasn't been ruled out for Opening Day, but he's yet to get into game action this spring, so he appears to be running out of time. Even if he does make the Opening Day roster, he'll likely need frequent rest to start the season, as his conditioning presumably isn't where he'd want it to be after battling a pair of long-term illnesses. At-bats could be freed up early in the season for some combination of Wilmer Flores, Darin Ruf or Austin Slater.