MLB Player News

Cardinals manager Mike Shildt confirmed Sunday that Carpenter will begin the season as a reserve after Tommy Edman was named St. Louis' everyday second baseman, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

St. Louis may have considered giving Edman more work in the corner outfield if Carpenter had swung a hot bat this spring, but that failed to materialize. Instead, the 35-year-old has gotten off to a 1-for-34 start to the Grapefruit League slate heading into Sunday's game against the Nationals, effectively ending any hope Carpenter had of beginning the season as a full-time player. Carpenter should still have a decent chance at cracking the lineup when the Cardinals are playing in an American League park, or when Edman, Nolan Arenado or Paul Goldschmidt require a day out of the field.

Manager Craig Counsell said Sunday that Vogelbach has secured a spot on the Brewers' Opening Day roster, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The lack of a universal designated hitter in 2021 will relegate Vogelbach to a bench role to start this season, after the 28-year-old slugger had previously been a mainstay in the lineup for the final month of last season upon being scooped up off waivers from Toronto last September. While the lack of regular at-bats will severely limit Vogelbach's fantasy value when top first baseman Keston Hiura is available, Counsell envisions Vogelbach filling an important role as a pinch-hitting extraordinaire for Milwaukee. Per McCalvy, Counsell said he's aiming to find ways to get Vogelbach at least one at-bat per game.

Miller (oblique) will serve as the Phillies' designated hitter and will bat seventh in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Miller will be back in the Phillies' spring lineup for the first time since March 10 after an oblique injury kept him sidelined for nearly three weeks. Since the Phillies are breaking him back in as a DH rather than in the field, Miller may not be back to 100 percent yet, but he still seems to have a decent chance of being included on the Opening Day roster.

Ruf and LaMonte Wade are the candidates for the last reserve spot on the 26-man roster, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Ruf is out of minor-league options, which could help keep him in the majors. Ruf is hitting just .195 (8-for-41) with a home run this spring.

Ozuna went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The veteran slugger took Chaz Roe deep in the sixth inning for his second homer of the spring. Ozuna has only gone 7-for-31 (.226) in Grapefruit League play, but five of those seven hits have gone for extra bases, and his 7:10 BB:K suggests he's been seeing the ball well. After posting a career-high 1.067 OPS last year in his first season with Atlanta, Ozuna is expected to hit cleanup behind the table-setting trio of Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies and Freddie Freeman, a spot that should have him among the league leaders in RBI opportunities.

Belt (heel) felt good after making his first start of spring training Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt debuted in spring training as a pinch hitter Wednesday, but he made his first start at first base Thursday. While he admitted he's not quite at full strength, he felt good in the field and is hoping to be ready for the start of the season.

Belt (heel) could be ready for Opening Day, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt is making his initial spring training appearance at first base Thursday after being slowed by offseason heel surgery. Based on his struggles to ramp up during camp it appeared that an injured list stint to begin the season was likely, though there is optimism surrounding the situation depending on how Belt responds to game action.

Belt (heel) is starting Thursday's spring game against the Brewers, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Belt has had a slow start to spring training after offseason heel surgery and various illnesses, but he'll make his first appearance at first base during Thursday's Cactus League game while batting second. The Giants haven't yet announced whether Belt will be ready for the start of the regular season in a week.

Turner is noticeably slimmer this spring, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Turner has typically clocked in over 200 pounds in recent seasons, but he reportedly got down to as low as 192 pounds as the result of a diet that the veteran hopes will help make him "lighter, more mobile and more durable." Manager Dave Roberts noted that Turner has improved his defensive range as a result of the weight loss, though it remains to be seen if it will have an effect on his offense. The third baseman is slugging .278/.395/.472 with one home run and six RBI in Cactus League play.

Belt (heel/illness) is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Wednesday against the Padres as a pinch hitter, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

The 32-year-old has been playing catch-up throughout camp after undergoing heel surgery in October and then coming down with COVID-19 in January and mononucleosis in February, but he's set to make his spring debut Wednesday. There's only eight days before Opening Day, so Belt is running out of time to play the field in a spring game before the start of the season. A short trip to the injured list to open the campaign wouldn't be surprising, though the Giants have yet to indicate whether he's expected to be ready for the season opener.