MLB Player News

Pederson went 1-for-2 with a walk and a two-run home run in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners.

Pederson hit his first home run of the spring and his first in a Cubs uniform. The 28-year-old outfielder batted cleanup, and he should slot into a prominent lineup spot during the regular season. The Cubs also sound committed to letting Pederson play every day and face lefties, which could help his counting stats but possibly act as a drain on his batting average if he struggles against southpaws.

Belt (heel) is dealing with a non-COVID illness, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt felt better Monday than he had in recent days but is still lacking energy. He's also spending the spring recovering from October heel surgery. That procedure was already expected to make his readiness for Opening Day uncertain, and losing a few days to illness certainly doesn't help in that regard. If he does wind up making a trip to the injured list to start the season, infield at-bats could open up for Wilmer Flores, Darin Ruf or Donovan Solano.

Winker's removal from the lineup with a sore hip prior to Monday's game against Oakland was "very precautionary" per manager David Bell, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Teams have very little reason not to be cautious this early in camp, so it's no surprise to see that the Reds aren't particularly worried about Winker's health. "He's come into spring training and really ramped up fast," stated manager David Bell. "I think that's a good sign that he was feeling so strong and really excited to be here. Sometimes you do have to be a little careful." While he may sit for a few more days in that same spirit of caution, his readiness for Opening Day isn't under serious threat.

Harper is still a few days away from making his Grapefruit League debut, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

There haven't been any suggestions that Harper is dealing with an injury, so this appears to be simply a case of a veteran heading into his 10th big-league season who knows exactly how much game action he needs to get ready. There's little reason to fear Harper will be anything other than the elite slugger he's been throughout his time in the league, especially coming off a season in which he walked more than he struck out and produced the third-best slugging percentage (.542) of his career.

Winker was scratched from the lineup ahead of Monday's game against Oakland due to a sore right hip, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The issue doesn't sound particularly serious, and Opening Day is still a full month away, but it would obviously be preferable for Winker to not already be battling even a minor injury so early in camp. He's coming off a strong year but may be forced to fight for at-bats this season as the designated hitter spot he occupied for much of last year won't be used in the National League, so any extended absence could hurt his push for playing time. Mark Payton will play left field in his absence Monday.

Pederson said he is eager to take on an everyday role with the Cubs and face more left-handed pitching, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

While in Los Angeles, Pederson rarely faced lefties, registering an average of 54 plate appearances per season against southpaws between 2017 and 2019, and only 10 in the abbreviated 2020 campaign. However, Chicago manager David Ross has indicated that Pederson could play more frequently against lefties. This could help the 28-year-old approach the 151 games he played back in 2015, his second season in the majors.

Chicago manager David Ross said he could use Pederson against both righties and lefties this year, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

"The conviction he had and the belief he had in being good against both sides of pitchers is something that he sold me on," Ross said. "And I thought we had a great opportunity for him." Pederson mainly avoided lefties when he was in Los Angeles, and he has a career .576 OPS against southpaws, compared to an .849 OPS against righties. It sounds like the 28-year-old might not start the year in a platoon situation, but if he struggles against lefties, he could lose some at-bats to Jake Marisnick.

Reds manager David Bell said that Winker worked "really hard" over the offseason to improve his defense and has increased his speed, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.. "I don't know how he did that," Bell said. "Every extra step is a big deal."

Without the DH in the NL, Winker's defensive ability takes on a greater sense of urgency. The Reds already have a defensive liability in right field in Nick Castellanos, and Winker previously has been rated poorly as a defender. The team would prefer not to be below average in both corners, and a lack of improvement could lead to either Winker or Castellanos being replaced in the late innings frequently.

Turner may see more down time in 2021, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Turner turned 36 in November and has missed time with injuries in each of the last four seasons, so it makes sense for Los Angeles to allot him a considerable number of off days in order to ensure his health for the team's annual postseason run. Manager Dave Roberts mentioned the desire to get Edwin Rios more opportunities at third base, and the apparent lack of a DH in the NL in 2021 means Turner won't be in the lineup most days when Rios plays, especially since Roberts also ruled out the possibility of Turner seeing time at first base.

Carpenter's exact fit with the Cardinals following the offseason acquisition of Nolan Arenado is expected to be sorted out during spring training, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

The versatile veteran has struggled considerably at the plate across the last two seasons, generating a combined .216/.332/.372 line with a 26.8 percent strikeout rate across 661 plate appearances over that span. Carpenter still has some pop in his bat, however, as 47 (26 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs) of his 120 hits in that sample went for extra bases. Consequently, manager Mike Shildt is receptive to finding a way to keep Carpenter's bat in the lineup on a consistent basis, but the potential lack of a universal DH in 2021 will make that a more challenging feat to accomplish if it comes to pass. Carpenter would be a good potential fit for the team's currently vacant leadoff spot, as he's started 759 career games at the top of the order; however, the 35-year-old would naturally need a position in the field as well, and while he does have experience playing both first and second base, a platoon role at the keystone could ultimately be his best path to occasional playing time.