MLB Player News

Soler is 0-for-5 with three strikeouts through two games this spring.

Although it is a small sample size, the three strikeouts in five at-bats is troubling, especially after posting a 30 percent strikeout rate in 2015. The 24-year-old will look to find his stroke this week and is preparing to be part of a left field platoon with Kyle Schwarber to start the season.

Turner (knee) will see additional at-bats against minor league pitching Tuesday, Bill Plunkett of the OC Register reports.

Turner appears to be nearing full strength after undergoing microfracture surgery back in November, but manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Turner is not quite ready for major league spring games. He figures to take that next step soon, however, and the expectation remains that he'll be ready in time for Opening Day.

Stanton (knee) will not play in Monday's spring game due to a sore right knee, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports.

Details regarding Stanton's setback are slim, but it appears the Marlins simply want to prevent him from traveling for Monday's exhibition contest. Stanton should be considered day-to-day until he returns to the field, but at this point it does not seem this injury will threaten his status for Opening Day.

Belt (illness) hopes to resume playing in games Wednesday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt sat out the last few days with an illness and is still is not 100 percent healthy, but he should return to action later this week. Don't expect the illness to be an issue any longer once is back on the field.

Turner (knee) received six at-bats in a minor league game Saturday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Turner has been working to return to the field all winter since receiving microfracture surgery in November. This is another step in his comeback, which should include major league spring training games sometime this week. Barring setbacks, the 31-year-old remains on track to be ready for Opening Day.

Belt was scratched from Saturday's game with a sinus infection, MLB.com's Chris Haft reports.

The ailment sounds quite minor, so it should not affect his status for Opening Day. Look for him to get back into Cactus League action next week.

Turner (knee) expects to make his spring debut early next week, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Everything seems to be going according to plan for Turner, who is working his way back from microfracture knee surgery. He entered camp having not experienced any setbacks since the October procedure, and has successfully ramped up his activity in the past couple weeks. Manager Dave Roberts has said Turner is on track for Opening Day.

Harper went 1-for-2 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Thursday's Grapefruit League win over the Mets.

The Nationals went five for five on stolen base attempts in the game, and even this early in the exhibition schedule it looks like new manager Dusty Baker and first base coach Davey Lopes are putting a lot of emphasis of staying active on the base paths. Harper stole 18 bases on 24 attempts as a rookie, but he's gone just 19-for-29 in the three seasons since in an effort to avoid sliding injuries. With Baker and Lopes giving him more green lights, however, Harper is still capable of threatening 20 steals in 2016. Don't count on him to contribute in that category, but he could very well surprise.

Vogelbach will bat eighth in the Cubs' spring opener Thursday, the team's official site reports.

Vogelbach will be the designated hitter Thursday, a position he might need to get used to. While no one doubts his bat, he really doesn't have a position to play. When the time comes for the Cubs to trade prospects for pitching, Vogelbach may be the first one to go.

Ozuna will open the exhibition season batting second in the Marlins' lineup, the Miamie Herald reports.

After an offseason of uncertainty with trade rumors swirling, it appears Manager Don Mattingly is ready to start Ozuna with clean slate. The outfielder struggled last season to match his breakout 2014 campaign, slashing just .259/.308/.383 in 2015 a year after belting 23 home runs during his first full season in the majors. Batting in front of Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton will provide Ozuna plenty of run-scoring opportunities if he is able to stick near the top of Miami's lineup.